historical fiction

Book Review: Cloaked in Beauty

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Cloaked in Beauty
by Karen Witemeyer

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance

Scarlett Radcliffe is heir to a fortune left to her by her late father. But her father’s brother wants the inheritance for himself and is willing to kill to get it. To keep her safe from her uncle, Scarlett’s mother sends her away from the age of 6 until her 21st birthday, when she will be able to fully inherit the fortune and hopefully give her uncle no more cause to pursue her. When that time comes, Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael is sent by Scarlett’s mother to bring her home safely.

It was difficult to find much to like about this book for me. A lot of it is personal preference, the most glaring one being that the romance was far too big a part of the plot and steamier than I prefer, especially in Christian fiction. I’ll address that last part first for others who are like me and want to know about this kind of thing before deciding to read a book. Other reviewers will call the romance sweet and clean, and I’m not disputing that there was nothing graphic or even all that physical involved. But the bulk of the plot seemed to consist of the author finding ways to put the two main characters (physically) close together so they could “notice” each other and have flutterings and such. I’m not going to go on at length about this, but I will just say that I was left with the feeling that the author really wanted to write mainstream romance but was stuck writing Christian romance for whatever reason and so skirts as close to the line as she can get away with. This may seem harsh and is probably completely untrue, but some scenes are close to the line, at least in my view. And even beyond those issues, physical attraction is not the same as romance. To me, it usually just means that the author doesn’t really know how to write real chemistry and connection between two characters and has to resort to physical sparks and even lust.

Now for the rest—the plot was fairly predictable and the characters were one-dimensional. I’d be hard-pressed to tell you a single flaw that either of the MCs had, other than maybe them both being stubborn, but even that trait is shown more as a strength than a weakness. The villain is ultimately an unnecessary, replaceable cliché, and I think that, had more time been spent on the rest of the plot and less on the time the two MCs traveled together, the story and characters could have been more fleshed out. This book, and the series it’s part of, is billed as a fairy tale retelling. I don’t read a lot of retellings, and I did see a lot of allusions to the two fairy tales mentioned (“Little Red Riding Hood” and “Sleeping Beauty”)—though much more the former than the latter—it didn’t seem like what I’d call a retelling. That didn’t bother me or affect my rating, but I thought it was worth mentioning. 

I don’t like to write reviews like this, and I did give the book 2 stars, mostly because the characters do trust God pretty unwaveringly in the story and because it just doesn’t feel like a 1-star book. But I was fairly bored during most of the middle and ended up doing a LOT of skimming. I wouldn’t personally recommend this book, but if you are not bothered by the things I mentioned in my review, please check out the link below to read the positive reviews and decide if this is a book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: When Tides Turn

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When Tides Turn
Waves of Freedom #3
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

Tired of only being used as a saleswoman in her job and wanting to be useful to the war effort, Tess Beaumont joins the newly established Navy WAVES program for women. She knows her tendency to be outgoing and peppy makes her look shallow to someone like Lt. Dan Avery, a deeply serious man who hopes to make admiral someday. Unfortunately, he’s been taken off the sea and assigned to a position that he doesn’t feel is as helpful to the Navy or to his own career advancement. As both Tess and Dan struggle to make themselves more useful, they also struggle to not be distracted by each other.

I’d put this book somewhere between the first (3 stars) and the 2nd (4.5 stars) in the series. Tess is a fun, energetic character, though difficult for me to identify with, since she’s far more outgoing than I am. I appreciated her desire to be known as more than just a pretty face (though again, I can’t identify, because that’s not an issue I’ve ever had) and actually be useful. Dan drove me crazy for a while with his strict workaholic ways, but I think that just made his character’s progression in the book that much more satisfying to me. I liked the emphasis on rest and integrity in his arc.

The mystery in this book was less engaging than the mysteries in both of the previous books. I think that was at least partly because it’s really just Tess alone working it out. Dan helps a little when he’s on land, but I like the way the mystery stretched across both MC’s stories in the previous book, and that didn’t happen here at all. In fact, after a while, I tended to start skimming during the scenes when Dan was at sea. I struggled to understand or frankly care about the work being done to help the Allies be able to find and combat German subs–not that that wasn’t super important work during WWII, but I’ve known Sundin to make history much more interesting in the past than this book did. That’s probably just personal preference though.

Overall, this is not my favorite of Sundin’s books or series. Still, I think many others wouldn’t be as bothered by those things that detracted from the book for me, so I do recommend it for fans of Christian romance, especially those set during WWII.

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Book Review: The Sisters of Corinth

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The Sisters of Corinth
The Emissaries #2
by Angela Hunt

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Biblical fiction

The new provincial governor’s son is an eligible bachelor, and the chief magistrate’s daughter, Prima, is intent on catching his eye. Unfortunately, Marcus prefers her step-sister, Mariana, who, as a new Christian, knows that it would be a bad idea for her to marry a man who worships the Roman gods. While she struggles with her options, Prima is determined to convince Marcus that she is the right choice after all.

For as much as I loved the previous book in this trilogy (I gave it 5 stars as well), this one even tops that! First of all, we have a sort of take on a marriage of convenience but with a twist, which is a trope I generally love in Christian fiction. The backstory of how Mariana and her mother became followers of Yeshua (Christ) is really interesting, and there’s the added suspense of their faith not being accepted by those in authority around them. Prima’s side of the story is shown alongside Mariana’s, and Hunt doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life during this time period—violence, idol worship, sexual immorality, etc., so let this be a warning to any who would have a difficult time with that being included.

There’s so much more that I liked about the story, but too much of it would involve spoilers. I’ll just say that I both cheered and cried while reading this book. It seems like it’s not nearly often enough these days that I’ll read a book that I get completely caught up in and don’t want to leave, even when it’s over, but that happened with this book. Another warning—it does end on a cliffhanger, but fortunately for me, the follow-up book is already out, so I can read it very soon! Overall, I earnestly recommend this book for those who enjoy biblical fiction, especially from the time after Christ.

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Book Review: The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic

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The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic
by P. C. Smith

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Historical fiction

It’s 1941, and 7-year-old Annie Elizabeth Jordan (known as Cricket) is going to stay with her grandparents for the summer alone for the first time, since her mom is about to give birth. Amidst the uncertainty and confusion of the war that has already cost Cricket dearly, a tragedy rocks her grandparents’ small Pacific-northwest town.

Before I get into the actual review, I feel the need to give some warnings up front. From the synopsis and at least some early parts of the book, I got a kind of To Kill a Mockingbird feel, so I was completely caught off guard by the extreme language and sexual content. Specifically, there are multiple rapes described in varying levels of graphicness, at least one quite graphically. It’s really bizarre, in fact, considering the amount of prayer and references to God in this book. Cricket’s prayers are sweet and could make the story come across as Christian, but it’s not too hard to see that it’s shallow at best.

Now to the story itself—I have to applaud the author for the depth she put into it. The story is told in snippets of Cricket traveling to and then spending the summer with her grandparents, mixed with fairly in-depth backstories of different characters as they’re introduced. Some of these characters are seemingly minor, and at least at the time we read about their lives up until the point that we meet them, we have no idea why they’re important. It is an…interesting pacing choice. Then, as if because Smith understood the possible issues that would arise from this style, she ends a lot of chapters with a reminder that something terrible is coming to keep the suspense up. This might work for some people, but it was just a little strange to me. Especially since the official synopsis tells us what that event is going to be (though not all of the details, of course); it just takes quite a while to get there. I also feel like the title was fairly disconnected from most of the book.

There is a little bit of a twist near the end, which kept it from being as predictable as I thought it might be by the time the actual “event” happened. It was a little underwhelming though. Also, Cricket’s prayers seem childish in nature, but some of the words and things that she seems to understand are too grown-up for her age. I was also a little confused by the “present time” that the book starts with, at which point Cricket would have to be in her 80s, since she was 7-8 in 1941, yet her baby brother, who was born around 1941, says he’s in his 50s. So maybe the “present time” is actually supposed to be the 90s, yet iPods and iPhones are mentioned. It was a minor thing, but it really confused me. On the other hand, for a book that, as far as I can tell, is self-published, it contained barely any typos and mistakes, which is refreshing. In the end, though, it just wasn’t for me. I would say that enough of that was personal preference, though, so if you’re interested in the book, check out the other reviews, which are all positive so far, at the link below.

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Bittersweet Rendezvous in New England

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Bittersweet Rendezvous in New England
by Diane Green

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Christian historical fiction

When Becky Chalmers and her new fiancé learn about a connection between their families they didn’t know existed, she reconsiders her relationship with the man. In the wake of this decision, Becky’s brother offers to take her to Boston to hopefully allow her to re-connect with man from her past, whom she’d very nearly married once upon a time.

This short read is, unfortunately, a little confusing and not quite what I had anticipated from the synopsis. The story is mostly about Becky’s various relationships during her life, past and present, including friends who have or have had crushes on her. Even though one of these men has a distinctly separate POV (and actually starts off the entire book), he’s no bigger of a character than the other man in Becky’s life at the start of this book. It all makes for some odd pacing and plot choices. There are some other questionable things that happen in the text, and I was left scratching my head a few times.

When I read a self-published book, it is my intention not to let things that a professional editor would help with affect my view too much. I’m not saying that there is no burden of responsibility here, but it’s harder for self-published authors. So while it did not affect my rating, I will at least mention that there are several mistakes throughout the text; for example, there are quite a few missing opening or ending quotation marks. It can detract from the book for some, so let that be a warning. Overall, I think this book could benefit from an editor, both in style and substance. However, taken in the right context, this could be a book that others would enjoy. For example, it appeared to be a romance from the synopsis I was originally sent, but I wouldn’t call it that. It’s more contemplative of Becky’s life and the choices she has before her. If you’re interested in the book, please don’t let my lower rating keep you from giving it a try.

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Christy

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Christy
by Catherine Marshall
Read by Kellie Martin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Classic historical fiction

The story of the young, naïve woman who moved to a small town in the Appalachian hills to be a school teacher is one I remember a tiny bit of from watching at least a little of the show when I was younger. Reading it for the first time now, I was drawn pretty quickly into the book, immersed due to the setting, the characters, and Christy’s passion to help. I felt for her as she was up against not just the superstitions and ignorance of the locals but even the resistance of the man who runs the mission she’s part of. I really liked her openness to other viewpoints and how hungry she was to understand God and make Him more personal in her own life.

Though this book is billed as Christian, and it certainly is a heavy element, I’m concerned about some of the theology presented in the book. I don’t think the author was trying to push any kind of religious agenda forward, more like she was simply showing her character’s view of the world. Which means that other characters’ view of the world are also shown, including the pastor who runs the mission where Christy lives, who believes that the Bible can’t be taken as complete truth. It’s because this is not contradicted at any point in the book that I wouldn’t feel comfortable labeling it as Christian fiction. On the other hand, some of Christy’s conversations with ex-Quaker Miss Alice were very interesting to me.

A little past halfway through the book, I decided to switch to the audiobook. One reason for this was due to the length of the book and the fact that I was struggling to have as much time to read at the time. I didn’t want to be reading it for weeks. What clinched it was when I saw that the book was narrated by Kellie Martin (who played Christy in the same-name television show in the 90s). Though she wasn’t as great as a narrator as I hoped, I still enjoyed the book as a whole. It’s full of emotion and heart, triumph and tragedy, and even a little romance. I recommend this book for all who enjoy historical fiction set in America from around this time period (early 1900s).

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Book Review: Al Capone Does My Homework

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Al Capone Does My Homework
Tales from Alcatraz #3
by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade historical fiction

Thirteen-year-old Moose Flanagan’s life on Alcatraz we already a little odd, not to mention difficult, but when his father becomes assistant warden, he knows it’s up to him to watch his dad’s back. Then his apartment catches fire and his autistic sister is blamed, and Moose has his hands full trying to figure out who really set the fire.

I liked this book almost as much as the first in the series, which means I liked it a little more than the second. The kids on the island were a little more under control this time (they seemed to just go a little nutty in the previous book), and I really felt for poor Moose. He tends to take too much responsibility on his own shoulders, and there’s a lot to deal with here. Besides the fire, there’s another side mystery developing on the island, and I was caught up in both of these plots. I half-guessed one of the culprits, but there was more to it than I expected, and events transpired that I didn’t anticipate. 

One of the things I like about this book, and the series in general, is that it doesn’t pander to its younger audience. Stakes and consequences are high, and though the kids and teens on the island tend to get into things a little above their heads, it’s not unrealistic or eye-rolling like some books for this age group can be. I also appreciate that the author has first-hand experience with an autistic sibling, which makes Moose’s sister Natalie come across as authentic. I recommend this book for pre-teens and young teens, as well as any adults who enjoy younger-audience books.

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Book Review: Midnight on the Scottish Shore

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Midnight on the Scottish Shore
Allegiance Under Pressure #2
by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When staying in the Netherlands becomes too dangerous for Cilla van der Zee, due to her connections with the Dutch resistance, she sees a way out in becoming a spy for the Nazis, who will send her to Britain, where she can disappear. But in these dangerous times, nothing is as simple or safe as she hopes, and she’s captured upon landing. Naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie believes her to be the German spy she’s portraying and turns her into the proper authorities. As thanks for his actions, Lachlan is forced to work alongside the spy when she becomes a double agent for Britain’s MI5.

There was a lot for me to like about this book. The uncommon setting of the Scottish shore during WWII was brought to life well; the storyline about double agents was exciting and well-researched; and I genuinely liked both of the main characters, their personalities, backgrounds, and dynamics. So many heroines in books like this are demure, self-conscious, uncomfortable, etc., which is the exact opposite of Cilla. Not that the other type is bad, it just seems so common. Cilla may be a bit on the silly side, but given her situation and that of the world around her, that silliness is often just what was needed. And her transformation was one of the things I loved most about the book. Lachlan has his own journey, which I also loved.

Even though the connection between Cilla and Lachlan is inevitable, given the genre, I felt that the obstacles they had to overcome were greater than usual and found the progression (mostly) natural and enjoyable. I appreciated that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. This book is the second in a series, but you really don’t need to read the first book, Embers in the London Sky, (which I liked but not quite as much as this one) before reading Midnight on the Scottish Shore. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction from this time period in the Christian romance genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Anchor in the Storm

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Anchor in the Storm
Waves of Freedom #2
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

When Lillian Avery moves to Boston to be a pharmacist in 1941, she has a long way to go to overcome her boss’s prejudices against her as both a woman and a handicapped one at that. She’s determined to win him over, but her task is made more difficult when suspicious prescriptions come in to be filled. Arch Vandenburg, naval ensign serving aboard a battleship, has some questions of his own when some of the men on his ship are acting drowsy on duty. Lillian and Arch will have to work together to get to the bottom of what’s going on in Boston.

After finding the first book in this series only okay, I was pleased to enjoy this one all the way through. Arch was in the previous book, the best friend of the male main character. He came across as a bit of a player, at least to me, but Sundin was already setting up his backstory, his baggage. As the heir to a fortune, Arch tends to attract the wrong kind of woman, which has led to trust issues. Lillian has her own version of the same, having been hurt badly in the past by a man who was controlling and at least a little abusive. The progression of their relationship is mostly natural and sweet, though it also becomes a little predictable about halfway through the book. Despite some clichés (and more kissing than I need in a romance book), the backstories and personalities are well set up, and I enjoyed the follow-through.

My preference when reading romance is that it not be the only focus of the plot, and I got my wish with this book. The mystery side, while not exactly a twisty whodunit, was intriguing and kept me engaged. When the romance went the way of cliché, the mystery sped up a bit, which evened things out for me. I was really caught up in it by the end. I also want to mention that Arch’s best friend Jim, the male MC of the previous book, is also Lillian’s brother. And there is a moment in the book where Arch does/says something really stupid and Jim reacts exactly how I wanted to react. I practically cheered! I recommend this book for fans of Christian romance, especially those set during WWII.

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Book Review: The Seaside Homecoming

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The Seaside Homecoming
On Devonshire Shores #3
by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Sisters of Sea View.

Two years past, eldest Summers sister Claire left her family in disgrace and spent those two years as companion to an elderly relative. Now that the older woman has died, Claire can’t help but want to be near her family again, though she knows at least some of them won’t want to see her. When she ends up as a partner in a boarding house that rivals her family’s, it threatens to make the rift between her and her family worse. Meanwhile, she also has to learn to run a boarding house and deal with the secretive and suspicious man who owns it.

The wrap-up to this main series was almost everything I wanted it to be. The author did a great job of setting up certain elements to provide emotional climaxes to at least two of the story arcs contained in this book. I enjoyed this book a good deal more than the previous two in the series, I think mostly because the annoyances and pet peeves I had with them were not an issue here.

I think that a little more time could have been spent exploring the character of the boarding house owner, William Hammond, since he seemed to have a fairly deep background of which we only get glimpses. Or maybe the reason it felt shallow to me was because I didn’t fully understand his past or because things were hinted at or presumed by Claire that ended up being incorrect, and so it felt like there was more to know than there was. I don’t know for sure, but this is overall not a huge deal to the greater story. It only stands out to me because of his role in the book.

Anything I felt was still missing from the story will hopefully be part of the related Christmas book that the author mentions in the author’s note (coming out in September 2025), and I look forward to reading that next year. As for this series, though 2/3 of it was rocky for me, I think the conclusion made it all worthwhile. I suppose this book could be read as a stand-alone and only one real aspect would be harmed by a lack of past knowledge (besides the two sisters that have already found love and gotten married, there’s Sarah’s inner turmoil about a particular man she rebuffed), but I think that Claire’s homecoming wouldn’t be as emotional without the build throughout the series. Based on past experience, I have good reason to believe that most fans of Regency-era Christian romance will enjoy this book and series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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