For the sake of her ailing mother, Marianne Denton becomes engaged to Noah Brennin—a merchantman she despises. But as the War of 1812 escalates, Jonah’s ship is captured by the British, and the ill-matched couple learns vital information that could aid America’s cause.
Relive the rich history of the War of 1812 through the eyes of Marianne Denton and Noah Brenin, who both long to please their families but neither one wishes to marry the other. Noah is determined to get his cargo to England before war breaks out, and Marianne is equally determined to have a wedding so that her inheritance can be unlocked and her destitute family saved. When their stubborn games get them captured by a British warship, can they escape and bring liberty to their country—and growing love?
I wish I would’ve had the time this week to read this book. I’m hoping to crack the cover over the weekend and will let you know what I think. Having read some of MaryLu Tyndall’s other historical fiction, I’m eager to see if Surrender the Heart measures up.
Some of you might remember MaryLu as the author of the Charles Towne Belles series, a trilogy about three sister caught up in the world of piracy.
They risk it all for adventure and romance, but find that love only flourishes in truth…
1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine.
She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. She wants a chance at “real life,” even if it means giving up financial security. For Charlotte, it’s a risk she’s willing to take. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival amid poverty beyond Charlotte’s blackest nightmares.
As for Dora, it’s the chance of a lifetime. She lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions–yet is tormented by guilt from the possibility of discovery and the presence of another love that will not die. Is this what her heart truly longs for?
Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts? There is no guarantee the switch will work. It’s a risk. It’s the chance of a lifetime.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Masquerade, go HERE.
View the book trailer:
MY THOUGHTS
Prior to reading Masquerade, I read two other books by author Nancy Moser – Washington’s Lady and Mozart’s Sister. I loved how these books took the reader into the heart of the main characters, Martha Custis Washington and Nannerl Mozart, and really opened up the reader’s mind to how life with it’s triumphs and struggles must have been for those ladies. Masquerade is similar, yet different.
Masquerade is a “lighter” read – I don’t mean that in a demeaning way, just that, in my opinion, the details and in-depth characterizations are less. In no way does that observation mean the plot line or story is weak. It just makes for a shorter story and one that doesn’t require as much concentration to read.
I loved the idea of a “prince and pauper” switch between a maid and her mistress. No one knows that Dora really isn’t Charlotte when they land in America because the family of Charlotte’s intended fiance has never met Charlotte, including the fiance himself. (Can you imagine traveling to another country to marry a man whom you have never met and only corresponded with via letters (and those letters weren’t very interesting or promising)? No wonder Charlotte was nervous and wanted to switch places!)
Is the switch believable to the reader? Absolutely. Each girl, while enduring bouts of guilt, nervousness, and excitement over her new role in life, develops in character and strength. Their individuality leads them down different paths, yet both find love and meaning in life.
Masquerade is another top-notch historical fiction book from Nancy Moser. As a special bonus, she included the drawings of period gowns that she based the descriptions of some of Charlotte and Dora’s gowns on.
As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei Kepler, daughter of a German resistance leader, must flee her beloved Germany. But is any place safe from Adolf Hitler’s evil grasp? Loralei’s harrowing flight leads her into the arms of needy child refugees, who have sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives, and toward a mysterious figure, who closely guards an age-old secret.
Explore the romance, the passion, and the danger of the most anticipated series of the last twenty years.
Born from the highly acclaimed and best-loved novels of three generations of readers — The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicles series — Zion Diaries ventures into the lives of the inspiring and intriguing characters who loved intensely, stood up for what was right, and fought boldly during Hitler’s rise to power and the dark days of World War II.
The Gathering Storm is the first of three books in authors Bodie and Brock Thoene’s new series Zion Diaries. If you’ve read and enjoyed the previous Zion books, I don’t have to tell you anything else other than this book doesn’t disappoint.
The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicle series cover the 1930s and 1940s war years in Europe. The Zion Diaries series fills in a gap between those two series (the time period in WW2 prior to America joining the Allies) and includes some of the characters we met in the previous series.
Did I enjoy The Gathering Storm? Absolutely. The plot line varies in intensity with bombs dropping, babies being born, refugees fleeing for their lives, and love blossoming. The authors carefully crafted their words to pull the reader into the emotions of the characters as they endure the various plights of war.
I really can’t think of much else to say other than if you like the Thoene books, you will love this one! If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the other series, I’d suggest going back and reading the books in order, adding The Gathering Storm to the timeline – I know I wish I had copies of the other books to re-read again!
A special thank you to Summerside Press for sending me a review copy. I appreciate their taking the extra time to answer my phone call and send me another copy after the first one didn’t arrive because of an address issue. This post does not contain any personal affiliate links, and the words under “My Thoughts” are my own.
Baron Ferdinand Harsanyi — After his wife’s mysterious death, this Austrian attaché holds control over mines whose coveted ore could turn the tide of war.
Therese Harsanyi — Swept up in new romance and the spectacle of Paris, the Baron’s daughter is blind to the dangers stalking her family and the city she loves.
Rudolph Harsanyi — Unsure whom to trust, the Baron’s son’s grief over his mother’s death twists into growing anger and a desire to break free.
As France and Prussia plunge toward war, one family is caught in a web of deceit, political intrigue, and murder that threatens to tear them apart.
This is another one of those books that failed to arrive in my mailbox. Having not read the book, I am unable to give you my opinion, but I would like to share what a few other readers have said.
The majority opinion is that this book is very, very heavy on historical detail, which makes it believable but also cumbersome to read. So, if you are looking for a lighthearted read to sit by the pool with … this isn’t it. If you want a historical book with some meat on its bones, try this book and maybe hang on to it for snuggling by the fireplace this winter.
Some have mentioned that the chapter divisions are too many and the dialogue overwhelming – every thought is turned into a piece of dialogue. Again, having not read the book, these comments may be a reflection of personal preference by an individual reader.
Otherwise, the plot line sounds fascinating and I really wish the book would have arrived in my mailbox.
You can visit author Paul Robertson’s website here to learn more about his books.
I know that many of you out there enjoy reading about the new books that are hitting the market and sometimes stop by here before heading to the library or buying a book.
I’ve mentioned in the past that one of my goals as a book reviewer is to always read the book before posting anything about it. Without reading the book, I feel as if I can’t recommend a book 100% and I may let down some of my blog readers by recommending a book that isn’t up to par.
Unfortunately, you may have noticed that during the past month, I’ve had to post only the publisher’s information about a book and not an actual review. Now, I’ve done this in the past when time is running short but the book has either been read or halfway completed. Having read part of a book, I generally feel safe recommending it to my readers.
Starting in July, I’ve failed to receive books that I’ve requested from publishers. The main reason? A year ago I changed my mailing address to a PO Box because of my living situation (sharing a mailbox with my former in-laws, etc.). While I consistently give the correct address in my communications when I request books, some publishers are failing to change the address in their databases.
If you’ve ever moved, you know that the US Postal Service will forward mail from your old address to your new address for one year. After that, the mail gets returned to sender as an invalid address. That’s what is happening to my books and I’m so disappointed.
If I was requesting books directly from the publisher, I would have some resources to turn to in order to solve the problem. But, alas, the requests go through a 3rd party.
One aspect of the address change thing that I fail to understand is how a bunch of mail order catalogs can automatically send copies of their catalogs to my new address without my ever telling them to change the address. Yet when I tell other organizations to change my address, I lose out on receiving one of my favorite things – books.
Maybe I should start reviewing mail order catalogs instead …
Recent Comments