Book review -- 'An Honorable Deception'

  I never hesitate to recommend Roseanna's books, even if I haven't read them yet.  Here again, we have no exception.  But every now and then, an author writes something extra special that just hits perfectly for you...and that's what happened with An Honorable Deception for me!

  I've greatly enjoyed reading through each of her books over the years, and love the variation in the different series, the different types of characters, sometimes living in extremely significant moments in history.  For me, mystery and espionage mixed with history are at the top of my list of favorite subjects in novels, and Roseanna's nearly always supply exactly that in spades.

  I first began reading her work with 'The Lost Heiress' not long after it released (in 2015?! Gosh time moves fast!), and immediately just loved the way she wove the mystery, slowly unfurling and layering things, ever making the characters walk a tighter rope as the tension built until the fulfilling (though not always happy) conclusions clicked together, one piece at a time.  Usually racing some very cunning villains until the last second!  And all the time, I actually liked the characters as people, with their own thoughts, problems, joys, and honest humor sprinkled so well throughout even the most serious stories.

  As if that weren't enough, her well-worded prose, the unique real-ness of each character, the comfortability with which the stories sat in their historical context, the different perspectives, the plots, and the true-to-life-ness of the subjects and moments, were all enormous bonuses as well.  But it was the mystery and the really loveable characters that pulled me in hardest.

  All that to say, 'An Honorable Deception' has felt like the most enjoyable and beloved returning to that first-reading experience I loved from 'The Lost Heiress', so many years ago.  I've been enchanted with 'An Honorable Deception', and since Yates and Lavinia were already side characters I loved most from the rest of the series, I especially enjoyed a tale they got to really shine in!

  I do try to steer as far from spoilers as possible...but I really would love to go on and GUSH about how much I enjoyed this finale to The Imposters. (not to mention the gorgeous colors in its cover!)  If you've not read Roseanna before, this series would be an excellent start.  But honestly, I'd recommend ANY of her series; just join me in all the adventures she takes us all on!

Get your own copy of 'An Honorable Deception' HERE --------------------->  purchase An Honorable Deception 

  Disclaimer:

  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers, and was not required to leave a positive review.  All views expressed are mine and mine alone.

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About the Book

As the leader of elite private investigative firm the Imposters, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon dangerous secrets. Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects there's more to her oldest friends than they're willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they're the Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. Happy as she is for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia's own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing to bring laughter back into her life--her friendship with Yates--lands her squarely on the bad side of her best friend, his sister. Tormented by a past that she doesn't dare to voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the darkest of society's secrets, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia soon learn anew that the gentry isn't always noble . . . and truth isn't always honorable.

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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An Honorable Deception (The Imposters, book 3) available HERE 

Book review -- 'A Beautiful Disguise'

 

  Another grand adventure has arrived, from the pen of the talented Roseanna M. White!

  At this point it's become a tradition for me, so I'll just say right off...  It's dang hard, especially with Roseanna's books, to write a review that doesn't give anything, even something small, away (NO spoilers here!).  So I just try instead to highlight a few things I liked briefly, and tell you just to GET THE BOOK and join me on the adventure! 

  Set in Edwardian London, this book takes a turn back towards Roseanna's past location settings.  And I am all the way here for it!

  While I've very much enjoyed the wartime novels Roseanna has focused on for a while -- the intrigue, the atmosphere of the eras, the complications of relationships of all types in wartime, the heightened threat of foreign enemies sneaking in to sabotage from outside -- it has been equally as fascinating to get back to a more society-drama setting for this new series (The Impostors).

  I was already predisposed to like the heroine of this story, Marigold Fairfax, as she's quite a costume-builder, and half of my own life is as a costumer by trade for both stage and film.  It's such fun to see bits of actual considerations I make in my job as a costumer, coming to light on the page.  Though I'm not in a type of espionage myself (fortunately...?), I too take into consideration things like what the trimmings on this gown or that hat will say to onlookers about who this person is, and so on.

  In addition, the aspect of Marigold and her brother Yates having past acrobatic and circus-related training is really interesting and a riot to watch unfold, combining with their fairly new work as private investigators.  What a fun angle this has proven to be! 

  Now, just like his rather secretive initial persona, I don't think I can say very much about the story's hero, Sir Merritt Livingstone, without his secrets leaking out...  So, suffice to say, I like him.  I actually really liked his suspicions about Marigold, for some reason; how she comes across much of the time vs. who she actually is and why.  Maybe it's just remarkably refreshing to see a character with good questions, not silly ones and suspicion for suspicion's sake that many an author often throw in to try to add drama to relationships.  (insert an eyeroll here...)  It's good to see a hero have a solid head on his shoulders, especially when it comes to the girl they're interested in, without taking it to the extreme of fake concerns for tension's sake.  (more eyerolls)

  But then, that's never Roseanna's style, and I appreciate it.  She takes the time and effort required to create plausible people, not caricatures or archetypes or silhouettes.  She creates worlds to put them in with life and dust and dirt and jokes and joy and complications.  And she creates scenarios and people I'm more than happy to climb aboard with and follow on any sort of adventure.  Just like this one, full of beautiful disguises.

  I'll wrap this up with a couple of quotes I love from this book:

'The truth isn't always pretty.  But I like to think it's always beautiful.'

'Maybe we'd all be wiser, maybe fewer people would be hurt, if we questioned 

more.  If we didn't think that closing our eyes to darkness meant 

it didn't exist.

As if by closing them, we didn't just create more darkness.'

Get your own copy HERE ---------->  purchase A Beautiful Disguise 

  Disclaimer: 

  I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publishers, and was not required to leave a positive review.  All views expressed are mine and mine alone. 

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About the Book ­

1909 Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend’s father as a potential traitor.   Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they’re creating a new secret intelligence branch, he’s intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.   Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend’s sake, and she’s more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can’t possibly be as noble as he seems.

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   About the Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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A Beautiful Disguise (The Impostors, book 1) available HERE 

Book review -- 'Yesterday’s Tides'

 

(No spoilers here!)

I’m not much for split time novels myself...  But this sort of multi-generational novel that doesn’t force me to spend half the book in the modern present...is much more my cup of tea! 

The newest book from Roseanna M. White, Yesterday’s Tides, is set during both WWI and WWII, so sort of split-time in that sense.  But what a great combo it is, tying together what really should be connected far more often; so many things affected one another between these two enormous world events. 

...On a side note for this one, I love the cover art; the colors, the quiet storminess in the clouds and the imagery, and a person with face not really visible so your imagination can work (my personal favorite).  Beautiful.  And real. 

Evie and Sterling are some of my new favorite characters Roseanna has introduced to us.  I love their interactions and personalities and understanding the time through their responses to what's happening in their world.  It's hard to say a lot without giving secrets away... So... I'm enjoying them.  Ahem.

The vocations of Roseanna’s characters further help highlight the atmosphere of the times she sets these people in.  While this surely takes large amounts of mental weight-lifting on her part, it really sinks her readers in the real life, everyday mindsets that help us understand the where, the who, the when, and almost the /scent/ of the places she sends us. 

This is a large part of why I never hesitate to recommend Roseanna’s books, even if I haven’t read one yet.  I know her characters will be vivid, real, and honest about the world they live in (even if they’re sometimes dishonest with themselves).  The times and places will be alive and lived-in, not a cardboard backdrop for drama.  The drama of the story will be fitting and have gravity to it that matters to the story and the people in it.  And I feel like Roseanna always is invested in the lives and eras she’s painting; and certainly if she cares, her readers feel that, and we quickly are absorbed as well. 

All that said, go find and enjoy this beautiful book about a stormy season of world history.  Let me leave you with a beautiful line from Yesterday’s Tides:

‘She was one small grain of sand squaring off against a hurricane. 

But each grain of sand played its part.  She drew her tools to her, turned her heart to prayer, and prepared to do hers.’

Disclaimer:

  I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publishers, and was not required to leave a positive review.  All views expressed are mine and mine alone.

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GET THE BOOK HERE ---->  purchase Yesterday's Tides 

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In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the man he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

 

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, but he doesn't count on falling in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. When war breaks out in Europe, and their relationship is put in jeopardy, will their love survive?

 

As Evie and Sterling work to track down an elusive German agent, they unravel mysteries that go back a generation. The ripples from the Great War are still rocking their lives, and it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

 

Bestselling and award-winning author Roseanna M. White whisks you away to two periods fraught with peril in this sweeping and romantic dual-time tale.

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About the Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Blog: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseannaMWhite/

Newsletter: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/newsletter-signup

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/roseannamwhite/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseannamwhite/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseannaMWhite

Website: https://www.roseannamwhite.com

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Book review -- 'Worthy of Legend'

 This is the final book in the 'Secrets of The Isles' series from the fantastic Roseanna M. White, and 'Worthy of Legend' did not disappoint! 

(There won't be any spoilers here!)

I've mentioned in past reviews that I appreciate how individual and unique Roseanna makes all her lead characters.  This one is no exception.

Bram Sinclair might admit he's... "a trifle overprotective"... But he'd like to think that's maybe the worst of him.  Well we, as the audience, haven't exactly seen him as warm or...much else in the previous books, so we're gonna take some convincing.  But Roseanna's up for the task!

By contrast, passive and rather timid Lady Emily Scofield has seemed just that as far as we've seen.  And between the two unfolding personalities, and more treasure waiting to be found that may be linked to tales of King Arthur...  A thrilling, wild island adventure certainly lies ahead!

My nerves were certainly on alert with this one; the antagonistic forces seemed fairly distant in the first one, and were certainly scaled up in the second.  Well they're ramped up quite a bit and are close and personal in this third and final book.  Yikes. (in the best possible way!)

As with all series conclusions, this one had quite a bit to tie up, while still feeling like it stands alone, too.  This one does a great job with that.  This 'Secrets of The Isles' series feels a little more episodic than many of Roseanna's, but nothing at all wrong with that.  I like both styles for a series, and can't really choose a favorite way.  But the episodic feel really fit the setting and treasure-hunting themes tying the three books together.

I felt like this showcased one of the skillful ways Roseanna chose to make the Isles of Scilly a background character on their own.  Setting is definitely a major feature, while descriptions never carry on and bog down the story.  A really lovely combination, and it really leaves a lovely feel overarching the stories all the way through till this last one.

It's awkward to try to end a non-spoiler review like this every time...  Well, this series was a wonderful one, full of peril, clashing personalities, rumors and searching for treasure, and a beautiful foggy, windswept setting.  Start yourself with 'Nature of A Lady' and 'To Treasure An Heiress', and work your way to enjoying this lovely third installment, 'Worthy of Legend'.  Happy reading!

Disclaimer:

  I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publishers, and was not required to leave a positive review.  All views expressed are mine and mine alone.

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GET THE BOOK HERE ---->  purchase Worthy of Legend 

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1906

 

After a summer of successful pirate-treasure hunting, Lady Emily Scofield and her friends are forced to hide the unprecedented discoveries they’ve made, thanks to the betrayal of her own family. Horrified by her brother who stops at nothing to prove himself to their greedy father, Emily is forced to take a stand against her family—even when it means being cut off entirely.

 

Bram Sinclair, Earl of Telford, is fascinated with tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table—an interest he’s kept mostly hidden for the last decade. But when a diary is unearthed in the islands that could lead to a secret artifact, Bram is the only one able to piece the legends together.

 

As Bram and Emily seek out the whereabouts of the hidden artifact, they must dodge her eager family and a team of archeologists. In a race against time, they must decide what makes a hero worthy of legend—is it fighting valiantly to claim the treasure . . . or sacrificing everything in the name of selfless love?

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About the Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Blog: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseannaMWhite/

Newsletter: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/newsletter-signup

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/roseannamwhite/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseannamwhite/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseannaMWhite

Website: https://www.roseannamwhite.com

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