THE LOST ORPHAN BY STACEY HALLS [ARC REVIEW]

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts and review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

A mother’s love knows no bounds…

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her newborn, Clara, at London’s Foundling Hospital, young Bess Bright returns to reclaim the illegitimate daughter she has never really known. Dreading the worst—that Clara has died in care—the last thing she expects to hear is that her daughter has already been reclaimed. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl—and why.

Less than a mile from Bess’s lodgings in a quiet town house, a wealthy widow barely ventures outside. When her close friend—an ambitious doctor at the Foundling Hospital—persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her young daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her—and will soon tear her carefully constructed world apart.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Georgian London, The Lost Orphan explores families and secrets, class and power, and how the pull of motherhood cuts across them all.

 

My Rating:

This book was an intriguing story and overall was a book I quite enjoyed! It was a beautiful tale of motherhood and shows a fascinating and more in-depth look at London and the Foundling Hospital in the 1750’s. The whole premise of someone having claimed another woman’s child as their own and then searching for that child. Only to then find out you know the woman who has claimed your child as their own! But from there it fell flat for me as it’s then just a story of a child torn between two women! Which is totally fine but I found that I wasn’t expecting more and kept waiting for a bit more than that.  But overall this is a enjoyable historical fiction novel.

 

 

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Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill [Book Review]

Hello Lovelies!

I have another book review for you today so lets get started!

I don’t even know where to begin with this review. I fell in love with it from page one. This book broke and repaired my heart only to then break it again moments late. It’s a beautiful and moving piece of fiction by Stephanie Morrill. I have to say that I simply adore how this book not only navigated a beautiful, precious and tedious relationship between an Italian-American girl and Japanese-American boy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. A time when racism and injustice against the Japanese living in America occurred. I just loved this story of Evalina and Taichi. Two young people in love in a time where it was illegal in most states for them to be married, a time where they were both at risk because of their relationship but still they pushed through.I was rooting for them the whole book! Just couldn’t put it down because I NEEDED to know what happened next .

Looking at the characters I loved Evalina’s heart and passion in this story. Her heart for the injustice inflicted on many people. Her heart for the one she loved and the passion she put into raising awareness for what was going on that so many people were blinded to. Seeing this passion and this heart in Evalina, I found that I related to her very much in that sense as I saw myself in her.

This book is an absolutely amazing piece of fiction you should not skip out on getting for yourself.

 

About Stephanie Morrill

Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as the 1920s mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street, and the WWII era romance, Within These Lines. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Romanov by Nadine Brandes [ARC – Book Review]

Summary:

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

My Review:

“I realized that a part of forgiveness was accepting the things someone had done – and the pain that came with that – and moving on with love.” -Anastasia from Romanov

This book was AH-MAZING.

I’m someone who very rarely reads Historical Fiction aside from a few authors and Nadine Brandes is definitely now a part of this list. My issue with so many Historical Fiction books is that they often feel like I’m reading a history textbook, and this…this was NOT one of those books.

This story was crafted so beautifully, and the ending was beyond perfect. Throughout the whole story I was just in LOVE with the Romanov family. I loved their relationships and love for each other. I especially loved the relationship between Nastya and Alexei! It was beyond beautiful. And I love how the story focused more on the love and relationship between a family more than the love interest story line. I knew nothing about the real-life Romanov family going into this story and the whole time I was reading this book I was just rooting for them and my heart rejoiced and grieved with them and their situation over and over and over again. Their small moments of joy brought me joy and their moments of sadness broke me. I was so invested in this story of their amazing family. I love the strength and the voice Nadine brought to Nastya’s character. She was so easy to connect with and relate to. I love that despite everything Nastya and her family has been through, she is so strong and despite her pain and being faced with many difficult decisions she was never selfish. She always thought about her family and those around her.

Whether you read Historical Fiction on a regular basis or not I 100% recommend this book.

**NOTE: I was given this book (from NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review/opinion**

Cover Reveal! ~ A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna White

Hello Lovely People!

Its been forever and a year ago that I’ve done a cover reveal (or it feels like it) but FINALLY I’m doing one now! Today I’m going to be revealing the cover for Book 3 of Roseanna White’s Ladies of the Manor series and I’m super excited to show you the cover because IT. IS. STUNNING!

BUT! Before I show you it, its time to tell you lovely people about the series first.

 

SO! The Ladies of the Manor Series take readers back in time to Edwardian England, when automobiles and electric lights were all the rage, but the old way of life still ruling the land. Lords and ladies, maids and valets…and in this case, a dose of danger and mystery to take them all on their journey to love.

“With the momentum and drama of a modern thriller and the charm and intrigue of an Edwardian upper-class romance, White balances hearty helpings of names, ranks, and family history with highly entertaining situations and plenty of humor.” ~Booklist on The Reluctant DuchessBlurb for A Lady Unrivaled

“White Is Quickly Becoming the Top Name in Edwardian Romance! Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile–even if it’s just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won’t wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better. Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he’s determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won’t budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her–and his daughter–from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy them all?” ~Amazon Review/Blurb

 

Author Bio

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna’s novels range from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.RoseannaMWhite.com

 

and now! with all this lovely info shared about the series and the author that is BOUND to have you dying to read this story its time to reveal the cover! So without further ado. Here is the BEAUTIFUL and STUNNING cover for A Lady Unrivaled!

 

TA-DAAAAAA!!!!

 

Links for A Lady Unrivaled

Find it on Amazon | Find it on Christian Book | Find it on Goodreads | See the Pinterest Page

A Very Merry Book Birthday

 

THE SOUND OF SILVER IS RELEASED TODAY YOU GUYS!!!! I CANNOT CONTAIN ALL THE EXCITEMENT!!!!

 

In celebration of the release of The Sound of Silver, I’m gonna post a book review. (Also if you missed my cover reveal for the third book in Rachelle Rea’s series you can find it here.)

 

The stalwart saint and the redeemed rebel. One is fighting for faith, the other for honor…

After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile—and hope is not as easy as it may seem. Gwyneth continues her quest to learn more about the love of God preached by Protestants she once distrusted.

Meanwhile, Dirk’s quest is to prevent his sullied name from staining hers. Will his choice to protect her prove the undoing of her first faltering steps toward a Father God? Once separated, will Dirk and Gwyneth’s searching hearts ever sing the same song?

 

 

I LOVED this book you guys! It was beautifully feels crushing. I also hated one of the characters so much…but I’ll get there in a second. I gotta make sure this all makes sense so one thing at a time.

So, I loved this book a lot! The feel of it was very very different compared to book one as there was a lot less action and this focused a lot on the emotional journeys of the wonderful characters Rachelle has crafted but even though there was a lot less action I was very pleased. (The romance novel loving side of me adored this book a lot for the reason that is ROMANCE ❤ )

Not only did I adore this book, but it absolutely destroyed my heart okay? The feels were definitely present in this book. As usual I also adore the characters. Dirk is kinda my favourite. I love him a lot. I also LOVE Gwyn she is the absolute best and therefore I love Dirk and Gwyn together…. and talking about these characters brings me to a new character…and *yells* I HATE HIS GUTS! *takes deep breath* *clears throat* Okay… Where was I?  Oh right. So, that character is named Anders and I have one word that described him. That word is: Ship-Wrecker.

*clears throat* Anyways. That aside this book was absolutely wonderful. The characters were amazingly beautiful (except Anders. Don’t like him. Nope Nope Nope) and let me just say the ending for this book was a terrible cliffhanger I wanted to cry. Let me just say book 3 has a lot to clear up now.

 

 

So! That’s my review! Hope you liked it!

 

Until Next Time!

Adriana G.

Cover Reveal || The Sound of Emeralds

Hello Readers!

I’m here with another exciting cover reveal for book 3 of The Steadfast Love Series by Rachelle Rea 😀

So here it is! The cover for The Sound of Emeralds

 

The Sound of Diamonds Blog Tour || Author Interview

Hello Readers!

Today I am SO happy to be apart of The Sound of Diamonds Blog Tour in which I will be interviewing author Rachelle Rea about her upcoming novel, The Sound of Diamonds, and ask her about her writing process and tons of other wonderful things! What better way to celebrate ones birthday than by interviewing such an amazing author? (Seriously guys, you will want to buy Rachelle’s book.)

 

*Note: Book Review Will Be Coming To The Librarian Files on Monday, June 15th*

Hello Rachelle, and welcome to The Librarian Files! To start this off, could you tell us a bit about you?

Hi Adriana! Thank you so much for having me! Let’s see, I’m a debut author with an addiction to Oreos. I drive a pick-up and play country music—Rascal Flatts is my favorite. My curly hair is natural, and I coach gymnastics as well as work at my church. Oh, yeah, and I’m barely five feet tall. 🙂

 

High Five for Rascal Flatts! So, when did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

In middle school, after a friend and I wrote a short story together about twin sisters who rode horses. I thought that was fun so I kept writing stories, which kept getting suspiciously longer and longer.

 

 

That is great! Now, I must ask, can you tell us a bit about your upcoming novel?

The Sound of Diamonds is set in the 1500s. At that time, not only was the Reformation in full swing in Europe, but modern-day Holland was launching the Dutch Revolution because they no longer wanted to be ruled by Spain. My novel plops right there in the turmoil of religious upheaval and political intrigue. And, oh yeah, there’s a guy who wants to save a girl who doesn’t want to be saved. They’re my favorites, even though the history first drew me.

 

 

Where and when did you get the idea for this novel?

I was driving down Central Avenue in my little town on the way to a college class, when I heard a song on the radio. I forget the song but I remember thinking, oh, wow, that sounds like diamonds. Which, of course, is a really strange thought. So I spent that summer writing a book to figure out what The Sound of Diamonds is about.

 

 

Sounds fascinating!…And here I just get my story ideas while leaning over a sink of dirty dishes…*cough cough* Moving on. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes! I hate to give it away, but I will hint that there’s a lot about hope in this story. Through tragedy and heartbreak and the craziness that is life, Gwyneth and Dirk both learn a lot about how to have hope—and where to safely store that hope…

 

 

Is there a way you can relate to your main character?

She’s tall, so not there, LOL. 🙂 Gwyneth actually shares my near-sightedness. I wear contacts—I detest how I look in glasses; but Gwyneth wears glasses all the time. Well, until a certain chapter that I won’t spoil. 🙂 Anyway…yes, there were glasses back then. They were expensive, but they existed. And Gwyneth has a pair without which she can’t see well.

 

 

What is one thing you found particularly challenging when writing this novel?

Gwyneth. She’s sort of a spoiled brat at the beginning of the book. She’s definitely little like me in a lot of ways. I didn’t struggle liking or relating to her, which is good since I’ve spent so much time with her over the last three years! But she was definitely a challenge at times. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t and that can sometimes get her into trouble.

 

 

She sounds like such a fun character!

Okay, So I myself am a plotter. Did you have an outline for your novel?

Yes and no. I know, terrible answer. 🙂  I did not outline Diamonds. I just sat down and wrote a story that summer. Which caused me headaches when it came time to revise and edit. With Book Two in the series, The Sound of Silver, I created more of an outline up front. With Book Three, The Sound of Emeralds, I outlined even more. Each book happened differently. I’d like to think I’ve settled into a happy place of loose outlining. 🙂 Ask me again after the next book!

 

 

Did you learn anything from writing The Sound of Diamonds? What was it?

I learned a lot of things: that you can have hope when life is hard, that I can finish a whole novel, that Historical Romance is my favorite genre to write in, and that finishing a novel made a world of difference to this heart. I felt like a real writer, and that motivated me to keep with it, invest in the story more, and look into publishing it.

 

 

Besides family and friends, what is one entity you feel supported you through this writing process? 

Without hesitation, I can think of one community of writers who were an amazing support to me. Led by Stephanie Morrill, Go Teen Writers is a group of writers who are both teens and older; I found and joined the GTW community when I was on the cusp of entering my twenty-somethings, but it is still my favorite writing blog to follow. I highly recommend Stephanie’s blog (which she now co-authors with other writers) to any newbie and growing writer, regardless of age.

 

 

Do you have any advice for other writers/authors?

Read. I can’t say that enough. You can’t learn how to fly a plane by watching one glide across the sky, but you learn a lot by watching a sentence soar. So read in your chosen genre—and out of it.

 

 

Do you have anywhere where we, as readers, can stalk-er…I mean find you online?

Fun question. 🙂 I blog and love social media, especially Instagram now that I have a smartphone!

Website: http://rachellerea.com

Blog: http://rachellerea.com/blog/

Instagram: @RachelleDianeRea

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/inspiringdaring/

Twitter: @RachelleRea

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144149.Rachelle_Rea

 

Thanks so much for having me, Adriana! It’s been fun!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Rachelle!

 

 

Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she’s lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. As a freelance editor, she enjoys mentoring fellow authors in the craft. A homeschool graduate and retired gymnast, she wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college.

COVER REVEAL || CARRIED HOME BY HEATHER MANNING

Hello Readers!

So, being on Heather Manning’s Street Team for her novels, I got to see this cover a couple days ago and last night I was told that now I can reveal the cover for this beautiful novel!

But….. Before I do so, I should probably fill you in on a couple things about this book AND tell you about it! (What? Did you think I was just going to show it to you first??)

 

First things first! Carried Home is the second book in a series (Historical Fiction by the way) written by my friend Heather Manning and the first book is WONDERFUL! If you go buy it right now, you may just finish before the release date of Carried Home (which is April 28th)

Buy the first book here: Swept To Sea

Maybe Add it to Goodreads? 

Find my review here: Swept To Sea Book Review

 

Now, It’s time to tell you what Carried Home is about!

About the book:
The Caribbean is no place for a society lady of London, yet after a daring quest to save a friend, Lady Ivy Shaw finds herself trapped far from home. Now, driven with worry for her young brother, she is determined to return to England in all haste. So, when a new acquaintance offers to sail her to her brother’s side, she jumps at the offer, scarcely caring that the man is a privateer.
Captain Gage Thompson is just learning how to be a captain. He sailed for years under the command of his longtime friend, Caspian Archer, but serving a captain and being a captain are, as he soon discovers, two very different roles. While struggling to gain the respect of his newfound crew, he now faces the distraction of beautiful Lady Shaw. He finds himself entranced by her and promises to give her passage home.
After a brief stop in Port Royal, Ivy and Gage discover an abandoned child. They both decide to bring her with them on their voyage to England. But problems soon arise in the form of hurricanes and enemy pirates, and Ivy and Gage find themselves scrambling to not only care for a lonely child, but also gain command of a motley crew.
Will love bud between Ivy and Gage as they journey home?

Now…The moment you have all been waiting for!

*drum rolllllllll*

…………..

……….

…..

…..THE COVER OF CARRIED HOME!

Isn’t it gorgeous?! I’m IN LOVE with this cover. It is simply stunning!

I would love to know what you think of it! Have you read Swept to Sea yet? Or is this the first you’ve heard of the series? Let me know in the comments 😀

Until Next Time 🙂

Adriana Gabrielle

Interview- K.M Weiland

Hello Readers! Today I am honoured to be joined by author K.M Weiland for an interview! The fact that I have this opportunity is very exciting!

Now, let’s get started 🙂

What inspired you to start writing?
One of my earliest memories is a story I came up with when three or four. I don’t remember a whole lot about it except that I was the hero in a tree house, and I saved my entire extended family (we were at a family reunion) from some unknown evil.

So, really, story-telling chose me. I’ve always been dreaming stories; writing them down was just the next step in a natural progression.

Wow. That’s awesome. I really love how your childhood imagination never really leaves you when it comes to writing sometimes 🙂 or when it’s the thing that started it all.

Do you write an outline before writing your novels?
Always. In a nutshell, my process goes something like this:

1. Craft a premise sentence.
2. Brainstorm ideas.
3. Explore character backstory.
4. Interview characters.
5. Identify settings and/or world build.
6. Write an extended outline (in which I flesh out and structure each scene).
7. Condense that outline into the most pertinent notes and type them up in Scrivener.

What do you find, is the hardest part of the writing process?
Every book is its own adventure. Something that’s easy in one book can end up being surprisingly difficult in another. Major rewrites, when they’re necessary, are probably my least favorite part—but they offer their own rewards too. Honestly, I enjoy aspects of every part of the process.

Rewrites and I are never on agreeing terms. So, what is one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members?
My critique partners have been great, especially my longtime critter Linda Yezak. We’ve been critiquing and supporting each other since before my second book came out. It’s awesome to know another writer has your back and is able to both help you grow in your own writing and also commiserate about issues non-writers wouldn’t necessarily understand.

That’s awesome. Critique partners are amazing. Do you have any advice for other writers out there who are looking into publishing or just writing a story in general?
First, write the best story you have in you. Second, don’t expect to find success with your first novel. It can happen, but it’s not likely. Keep writing until you’re personally confident in the book and are no longer hearing about any major problems from your critique partners. There’s no reason to self-publishing or querying agents until you’ve reached that point.

 

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY and NIEA Award-winning and internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, as well as Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic. She writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

 

Thank you K.M Weiland for doing this interview and thank you, my wonderful readers for stopping by to read this interview! (More coming soon 🙂 )

 

Until Next Time!

Adriana Gabrielle

Book Review- Swept to Sea by Heather Manning

Hello everyone,

So today, I am going to do a book review on Heather Manning’s debut novel called ‘Swept to Sea’ (Heather is a totally awesome person just so you all know)

Now, on to the review.

Lady Eden Trenton never wanted to leave her privileged existence in London—until her father invites a dangerous suitor into her life. Left with few options, Eden devises the best reprieve she can: escape. Chasing freedom, she stows away aboard a pirate ship, praying she will gain her independence in the colonies before she is discovered by the nefarious crew.
Captain Caspian Archer has spent the last five years hardening his heart and searching to exact revenge for the event that tore his life to shreds. When he catches word that his enemy is residing in Jamaica, Caspian steers his ship toward the colonies in all haste. His plans soon change, however, when he discovers the young beauty hiding in his ship’s hold.
Cut from the only lives they have known, Caspian and Eden are pulled together as each pursues a fresh hope upon the sea.

Okay, one thing before I start on the review. (Though this kinda counts) Isn’t the cover simply stunning? I love it 🙂

Plot:

Love love LOVED the plot of this book. It was just so unique and really well done. Also there were a few pretty surprising plot twists. 🙂

The plot also just helped drag me into this story. (People. I read this book in the span of 3-4 hours.)

I know this isn’t much on the plot but I seriously loved this book and everything about the plot that I cannot form the words to explain it. Just trust me. It’s amazing.

Genre:

The genre of ‘Swept to Sea’ is a Christian Historical Romance

Romance:

I will just say right now. That I have never read a romance novel in my entire life. More due to the fact, in my opinion, that all the romance novels published these days are just horrid. (Just a personal opinion). I have read books with romance as a subplot but not an actual romance novel. (Heck, all my stories I write have a bit of romance as the subplot but this is not about me or my books so, moving on…) I LOVED ‘Swept to Sea’ and I do love romance (yes, I’m one of those girls who giggles like a total goof ball at a kiss scene in some movies.) I really do and I loved how all the romance in this book was clean.

Christian:

This part of the genre also had to do with the cleanliness when it came to the romance but I loved the whole christian aspect to the story. Good Christian fiction is also a hard thing to find these days and this was really good.

Historical:

The Historical aspect to the story was their. The character speech patterns, the time and place, the setting. Everything just screamed Historical.

Characters:

Oh my…where to begin?

I loved the characters. The characters felt real to me. Their personailties, their backstories everything about them felt real as if they were real people. The character development of the characters was outstanding and absolutely fantastic. I fell in love with the main characters and despised other characters (who should be despised…) I will not mention anything about the said despised character or I fear I will spoil something (and we don’t want that.)

Anyways, my final though on the characters is: They were outstanding!

Setting:

The setting of the story was on a pirate ship sailing from London to Port Royal in the Carribean. The setting was so real to me. Everything was described so well that I felt like I was on the said pirate ship, sailing the sea. The setting was absolutely fantastic and described/written so well.

Overall:

I am sure you are all aware at this point that I absolutely, without a doubt LOVED this book.

Overall I have only one more thing to say: 5 star rating from me. If you haven’t read this book…Read it now. You will not regret it. It is amazing!

What I didn’t like:

I’ll be brief with this. There wasn’t one thing I disliked about this book. Not one.

So, that is my review for ‘Swept to Sea’

‘Swept to Sea’ is now available for:

-Nook on the Barnes and Noble website
– Kindle and the Paperback Edition on Amazon

And for IBooks on ITunes.

I highly suggest purchasing this book. You will not regret it.

Until next time bloggers!

Adriana Gabrielle