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Showing posts with label blogging for books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging for books. Show all posts

Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

Childhood friends and sweethearts, Maddie and Gideon expect to marry and have a lifetime together. One day, however, Gideon unexpectedly breaks things off with Maddie, leaving her bereft. Will Maddie find happiness with her new boyfriend, Sol, who is solitary and likes to hunt by himself?

Though most readers know how this novel will end, The Christmas Singing, is still charming. Maddie is a bit to clumsy for my taste and Gideon is a little too perfect (even with his alleged wandering ways) yet it's easy to see them together.

Maddie keeps herself busy in another Amish town after Gideon jilts her. Her bakery, Maddie Cakes, does well until an accidental fire causes it to burn to the ground. This bit of ill luck brings Maddie back to Apple Ridge where she has a series of chance meetings with her ex-beau, Gideon. He is the carpenter who is building her cousin's house.

Gideon tries to explain why he broke up with her but Maddie refuses to let him into her heart again. She's engaged to Sol because he's a good man who will never break her heart. Convenience, safety and companionship are no reason to marry. Her heart is safe with Sol only because it is never really engaged. As her cousin astutely argues, "You can't break what you cannot touch."

Maddie's heart melts when she know the real reason why Gideon broke up with her. None of the horrible things she thought about Gideon were true. He has lied to her in order to protect her. Nonetheless, Maddie is furious that he was not more straightforward. She has already made a promise to Sol.

Will Maddie returns to Ohio to attend the Christmas Singing and reunite with Sol? Or will she reunite with her past love, Gideon?

Even though most readers can guess what will happen, this novel, like a good comic play, is enjoyable to the last line.

As a participant in the Waterbrook/Multnomah's "Blogging for Books" program, I have had a chance to view an e-version of this novel at no charge. The opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.




Friday, December 9, 2011

A Sound Among The Trees by Susan Meissner

Readers will find the plot of A Sound Among the Trees intriguing. Newly transported from New Mexico, Marielle has trouble dealing with her new role as wife, stepmother, and inhabitant of the historic home, Holly Oak.

Holly Oak belonged to Carson's ex-wife's family. In fact, the oldest living Holly Oak woman, Adelaide, still lives in the house. The historic house was built before the civil war and was the setting of much sorrow. Several Fredericksburg women has stepped forward to warn Marielle that the house is haunted by a ghost.

Adelaide, the matriarch of the family, believes the house is "stuck" the same way that a needle can get stuck in a record. The house barely survived the civil war and still has a cannon ball in its walls. More recently, Sarah, Adelaide's only grandchild died from complications of child birth. All of the Holly Oak women, she believes, are all doomed to unhappy lives.

The story becomes even more interesting once Marielle finds a stash of letters belonging to Susannah Towsley, the woman who supposedly haunts Holly Oak's parlor and cellar.

Susanna helps her beloved Union soldier, Will, escape from Libby prison. The escape is orchestrated by her ingenuous Aunt, Eliza, but it is Susanna's courage that ultimately makes the breakout from Libby prison possible.

Resolution is only possible after Adelaide's estranged daugther, Caroline, returns to Holly Oak. Caroline provides the clues for understanding the elderly Susana's final words and digs up the hidden stash of letters. She presses the family into finding solutions to problems that have previously eluded them.

While I wouldn't call this page-turner, some of the characters are admirably drawn; most notably Susannah and Eliza. Pearl is delightful for comic effect and Adelaide is charming though I think she accepts and forgives Caroline too easily.

A Sound Among the Trees made me want to read more about the civil war period, especially civil war Fredericksburg.

As a member of the Waterbrook/Multnomah's "blogging-for-books" team, I received this book at no charge. I was not required to write a positive review.

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