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You’re The Cream in My Coffee, Jennifer Lamont Leo, author

October 31, 2016 by JudyAnn Lorenz Leave a Comment

I enjoy that novels using the Vintage theme employed by Jennifer Lamont Leo. They are bright and entertaining. In terms of You’re The Cream in My Coffee, (not an affiliate link) I have found an especial favorite.

Loved it! I usually ‘like’ a protagonist, but this time I REALLY liked Marjorie Corrina! The wording and tone are so FLAPPER, even before Marjorie gets a chance to be a FLAPPER. There are several spots where Marjorie is genuinely FUNNY which made me like her even more.

I enjoyed the play of the other proper characters as Marjorie seems to back into an opportunity to test her personal independence. And learn that the programmed life that had been set out for her by her social climbing step-mother isn’t HER life. (BTW — this isn’t your typical wicked step-mother. Things do work out for the RIGHT).

Suddenly, our girl Marjorie gets to travel to the big city on her own, discover greater artistic talent and be responsibly self-reliant. She enjoys having a job and is excellent at window dressing in a major department store. Then, she meets the REAL Mr. Right who appears to be a double for her long lost first love and high school sweetheart, presumably lost in the Great War — not the fine, upstanding (phony and bossy) fellow from home.

For some twisting, Marjorie gets into some scary ‘deals’, but manages to come out alright.

I liked her Dad — a gentle, understanding man whose little efforts helped Marjorie get the chance to find who she is and how she will live. In the meantime, throughout the story, her gentle faith stands strong. And because of her sharing, her ‘best friend’ from the City is able to regain her own faith.

I liked the descriptions of Chicago and the small town where Marjorie helped with her family retail store. The clothing, decor and lifestyle descriptions where bright and entertaining as well. This book was one that I didn’t put down! Jazz is a darling thing for her and Prohibition a heavy discussion.

As the publishers’ intro mentions, she hasn’t ever gotten over her first love although she has a highly respectable proposal that everyone else thinks is wonderful. Discovering the look-alike man as soon as she gets to the big city, just throws everything into turmoil for her…is this man only a look-alike or is he REALLY long lost Jack? She certainly can’t marry Richard, the grand opportunity, until she knows for sure because she doesn’t love him and isn’t encouraged by the advice that love will come, especially when there is a nice checkbook involved.

Altogether a fun, flinch-free read that I recommend. I read this book on my Kindle Fire using the Kindle Unlimited account.

Saratoga Letters, Elaine M. Cooper, author

October 28, 2016 by JudyAnn Lorenz Leave a Comment

Elaine Marie Cooper has written more than one historical fiction novel. I enjoyed this one and hope you will check out a good story in historical fiction with romance, suspense and surprises.

The first part of this well-written book is set in the rimes of the American Revolution, specifically the Battle of Saratoga. This battle was a turning point for that conflict, and definitely a turning point for the characters. The love interest blooms when a romance grows for Abigail, a lovely young woman who has an aptitude and skill at nursing. As a ‘rebel’ at heart, she is conscripted to help care for wounded Redcoat soldiers. She cares for Will’s wounds and his heart. She is not without risk from actual conflicting warfare added to risks of an attractive woman in a camp of lonely men. There are others who would win her heart and those who would just have her anyway. Still others among the women who are also nurses who resent her presence.

All of this is backgrounded with a strong Christian faith, expressed by believing characters and shared with some of those who do not believe. As the battle ends and the area is not a battle ground, Abigail and her Will leave the camp (yes, he becomes an official deserter) and settle their home at Abigail’s home farm before the battle took over her life.

Fast Forward two hundred years and reenactment celebrations at the site of the Battle of Saratoga where descendant converge to acknowledge their heritage. Main characters include Abigail’s several-great granddaughter, who also has red hair and is named Abigail — Abby to us.

I was pleasantly surprised by the next ‘twist’ in the story. I had suspected we would have some sort of paranormal experience where Abigail and her fellow characters would ‘channel’ their ancestor to figure out how things would go forward.

Instead, the descendants have to deal with their own issues, which includes fears and feuds that have burned for over 200 years. Two of the participants in the reenactments Abby and Ian, bring copies of letters written by their ancestors with them. These letters change everything for them when they are conflicted over spiritual and moral differences. Instead, the bright couple fall in love with one another, work out their spiritual conditions in a positive manner, marry and start their family. They move from their respective former homes — California and England — to live happily at the site where their ancestors first met. They move forward as strong Christians.

This is a fast-paced book that makes a wholesome pleasure read and I recommend this author. I hope you will read and enjoy the book as well. More about this author at her Amazon page.

Hope Reborn — Caryl McAdoo, Author

February 17, 2015 by JudyAnn Lorenz Leave a Comment

Hope Reborn was a pleasant read that I had no trouble staying with until the finish! I enjoyed the author’s testimonies in the dedication and acknowledgements. Caryl McAdoo’s statements stayed with me during the read.

She takes a time in our history that has eternal appeal to readers and works it to a T!. We have TEXAS, bigger than life with cowboys, ranching, Indians, a few bad guys and Old Western Integrity and HONOR, stirred into an unusual status for women, since the leading woman is a popular romance author.

Hope Reborn leads to another story as we see in the end when some of the sweet children ‘grow-up’ to live their willful ways, adding drama and a touch of real life.

The background of our leading woman, Mae is an unusual and subtle topic, handled artfully as her personal angst comes out while she resists the spiritual convictions flowing around her. Will she become a believer or will she refuse and lose the one true love she has found in maturity.

I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of travel, clothing, food and personalities. Of course, the story is “A WESTERN’ and the characters must all be bigger than life. Yet, we also know that there is nothing that can be spun at the keyboard that is more unusual than the things that really happened. Larger than life comes when we condense all of the events in people’e lives into a few pages and hours of reading.

Hope Reborn fits my description for this blog of Inspiring, Entertaining and Pleasure reading for through all of the entertaining description and drama, God is glorified and Saving Grace is a standard. I highly recommend this book.

THE RESTORATION — Sisters Divided, Joy Ross Davis

February 17, 2015 by JudyAnn Lorenz Leave a Comment

The Restoration — Volume 4, SISTERS DIVIDED — Joy Ross Davis is taking this story into more profound territory than I anticipated. Our divided sisters, Keeva and Maeve, have their mentor twins, elderly Lucille and Martha, with them as we learn of the selfish cruelty that Maeve worked in Volume 3, Living Waters.

If you’ve been reading, you know that Maeve’s antics were awful in Volume 2, A Brush with Death and that Colin, their angel trainer took stern disciplinary steps, working some awesome changes in Maeve’s beauty. Instead of being humbled by Colin’s tactics, Maeve continued in her rebellious spirit which brings us to the Restoration.

We can begin to feel some sympathy for the selfish Maeve as she realizes the potential of the trouble she has caused in her rebellion. Her efforts can be changed and the suffering ones can be restored — as well as Maeve’s beauty, but she must do some of the restoring herself.

We continue on at the Across the Pond Tea Room where Keeva, Martha, Lucille and Gary — a bus driver who has been included in their secret, distract Phillip while Maeve corrects the damage she caused to the Living Waters gardens.

Spoiler Alert — Maeve and The Living Waters are RESTORED! Read this volume and learn the little details because they will be important in the coming volumes.

Joy Ross Davis writes a better and better story. Maeve, Keeva, Martha and Lucille are becoming a team that readers look forward to seeing in their next adventure….all four, each and every one!.

LIVING WATERS — Sisters Divided, Joy Ross Davis

February 17, 2015 by JudyAnn Lorenz Leave a Comment

LIVING WATERS, Volume 3 of The sister angel initiates, Keeva and Maeve continue their journey with their mentors, Lucille and Martha to St. Augustine.

Maeve’s behavior in Vol. 2 that put the dog at risk has earned her a disciplinary action from Collin which she finds extremely constraining. The other characters, sister Keeva and mentors, Lucille and Martha, are not tentative about their opinions wherein Maeve might improve her situation. While they are empathetic, they are candid with some solid scripture. Keeva, always in tune with her sister’s moods, brings Maeve a visitor’s brochure trying to entice her into going out, offering an encouraging verse from Proverbs: “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

I don’t like to make this all about one character, but Maeve’s angst and condition do dominate this Volume almost as much as I feel Maeve would like to dominate everything. Through that point of view, we are taken on a tour of St. John’s County and through the archeological park and a stop at the Fountain of Youth. The group has a friendly and helpful tour guide, Gary who introduces them to a ‘hunk’ Phillip. Phillip has a tearoom that entices Lucille and Martha with vintage furnishings and wins everyone with delicious food.

Living Waters — the dream that Phillip has for Living Waters B & B is inviting! But, in this volume, Gary is the person needing their angelic touch…when the four work together to help him, Maeve finds a change in her disciplinary ‘sentence’. Will something she’s done about Living Waters B & B break things again? Will Maeve ever become even remotely compliant and less self-centered?

I am a fan of Joy Ross Davis historical writing and know her love of traveling. The settings for Sisters Divided is different from other stories and I’m enjoying each one more than the last as the petals of the ‘story rose’ unfold.

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