Dear Abby - Thankful (With Vintage Pictures)

Dear Friends,

I would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.  This year I am so thankful:

... for my health after having a bit of a hard time with Cushing's.

... for my Momma who is home with me and takes care of me every day.

... for the colorful leaves outside that crunch when I walk outside in fall.

... for good friends like YOU who visit here and who send encouragement and kind words.

Thank you, dear friends!  I will be taking next Friday off but wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

PS - The pictures this week are from Calling All Girls magazine, 1962 and 1960. Those old timey dachshunds knew how to have fun! 

 

Book Review and Giveaway - Flirtation and Folly by Elizabeth Rashe

My Review

Flirtation and Folly is a historical novel set in the Regency period (London, 1812).  It is the story of Marianne Mowbrey, the responsible but plain sister in a rector's family.  Marianne has the opportunity to visit her wealthy aunt in London and have a season. She is excited about London and determined to find a husband in order to change her life.

I wanted to read Flirtation and Folly because I enjoy historical fiction and love the Regency period.

I must say that this book exceeded my expectations! I thought it would be an old fashioned historical romance, but it also was a novel about Marianne's expectations of London and her changing view of herself and her life.

The writing is engaging and the historical details are finely drawn.  I like the touches of realism, like Marianne's first introduction to London:

"Here at last, here at last! The carriage rolled to a halt, and Marianne Mowbrey climbed out, avoiding a pile of slush that nearly swallowed up her worn half-boots. She turned in a circle, lips parted in wonder as she took in the figures moving past her. The clop of horse hooves and squeaking of carts from the street drowned out other sounds, allowing only the occasional cry of a hawker to rise up in front of the genteel row of houses in a better part of London. The odour of decaying vegetables from a nearby cart mingled with the grit of coal dust in the air , making every breath an unpleasant sensation" (eBook location 48).

Marianne encounters a number of new people in London - some positive and some not as much (i.e. some of the catty women in society). Over the course of the novel she learns to accept her true self ... as she also finds her happy ending.

I recommend Flirtation and Folly for fans of historical romance, and especially for anyone who enjoys the Regency period. 

Book Synopsis

Marianne Mowbrey is a responsible country rector’s daughter who longs for the novelty and excitement she reads about in novels. When her crusty Aunt Harriet agrees to give her a Season in London, Marianne vows to dazzle the world, win a husband, and never go home again. But the Londoners who determine social success are inclined to pass over plain Marianne in favor of her beautiful, reckless younger sister.

In a world of ambition, fashion, flattery, and deceit, how can Marianne stay true to her real self—when she is not even sure what that real self is?

Available on Amazon

Author Bio

After acquiring a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Arkansas, Elizabeth Rasche taught philosophy in the U.S. and co-taught English in Japan. Now she and her husband live in northwest Arkansas, the ‘garden of America.’ (At least, she has only ever heard Arkansas called so.) She dreams of visiting Surrey (if only to look for Mrs. Elton’s Maple Grove), Bath, and of course, London. When she has a Jane Austen novel in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, and a cat on her lap, her day is pretty much perfect.

Elizabeth Rasche is the author of The Birthday Parties of Dragons and her poetry has appeared in Scifaikuest. Flirtation & Folly is her first historical fiction novel.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Flirtation and Folly by Elizabeth Rasche! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on November 24th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Flirtation and Folly

 

Book Review - Nothing Short of Wondrous by Regina Scott (American Wonders Collection)

My Review

Nothing Short of Wondrous is a historical novel set in 1886.  It tells the story of Kate Tremaine, a widowed single mother who runs a small family-owned hotel in Yellowstone Park.  When Lieutenant William Prescott comes to patrol the Park, he meets Kate and there is an immediate connection.  There are some real dangers, though, that must be overcome before they are safe and able to move forward.

I wanted to read Nothing Short of Wondrous because I loved the first book in this series. I am fascinated by the history of the National Parks and enjoy the old fashioned storytelling of these books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!  Kate Tremaine is a heroine to pull for -- strong, determined, a wonderful mother, someone who has compassion for protecting animals (endangered bisons) and the environment.  Will is someone who has a mystery in his past, but he proves time and again that he is a caring, strong person.  I really enjoyed their love story.

As a lifelong animal lover, I really appreciate the animal protection theme in this book as well.

Regina Scott has a real gift for combining lively storytelling, engaging characters, and descriptions rich with period detail.  There are place descriptions like:

"The Geyser Gateway salon had high ceilings with massive wood beams holding an oil lamp chandelier. She’d recently lowered, cleaned, and refilled the lamps herself, so they glowed with a golden light. The fireplace was of stones gathered from the Firehole River, the grays, rusts, and tans complementing the wood of the walls. The burgundy upholstery on the two curved-back sofas flanking the hearth had been brushed, the blue-and-burgundy-patterned rug on the floor beaten. Through a wide archway directly ahead, the six tables— four big enough to seat eight guests apiece— were draped in smooth white linen Pansy had ironed only yesterday, and most of the ladderback chairs stood ready to receive their guests for dinner" (eBook location 224).

I highly recommend Nothing Short of Wondrous for fans of historical fiction, inspirational fiction, and the National Parks. Do yourself a favor and read the first book in the series as well. You are in for a treat!

Book Synopsis

It is 1886, and the government has given the US Cavalry control of Yellowstone. For widowed hotelier Kate Tremaine, the change is a welcome one. She knows every inch of her wilderness home like the back of her hand and wants to see it protected from poachers and vandals.

Refused a guide by Congress, Lieutenant William Prescott must enlist Kate's aid to help him navigate the sprawling park and track down the troublemakers. But a secret from his past makes him wary of the tender feelings the capable and comely widow raises in him. As they work together to protect the park and stand firm through injustice and tragedy, they may just find that two wounded hearts can share one powerful love when God is in control.

Author Bio

Regina Scott is the author of fifty works of warm, witty historical romance, including A Distance Too Grand. She was twice awarded the prestigious RT Book Reviews best book of the year in her category. A devotee of history, she has learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research. She and her husband of thirty years live south of Tacoma, Washington, on the way to Mt. Rainier.

Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes: Bulldog Who Loves Metal Bowls

Dear Friends,

Happy almost-weekend to you! I hope you had a good week. All is well here - it has been warmer than usual and I sure have enjoyed extra walks all week.

I have a fun little video for you today. It is about Theo the English Bulldog. Theo loves metal food bowls. They are his favorite thing in the whole world!  He loves to carry them around like a security blanket.  His dad knows how much Theo loves the bowls so he has about 50 bowls in the house for Theo to find and enjoy!  This story really makes me happy, and Theo is very cute.

Here is Theo with some of his favorite bowls:

Does your dog have a special toy or security blanket? I have a fuzzy puppy toy that belonged to my brother Barney.  I like to sleep with it.

Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to visiting again here next week.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

My Review

The Love Note is a historical novel set in Victorian England. Willa Duvall is a doctor's daughter who longs to become a doctor herself. When she finds a mysterious love note in an old writing desk, she goes to Crestwicke Manor as a nurse in order to look for the story behind the letter. This move leads her back to her childhood sweetheart, Gabe Gresham, and his family. Willa misplaces the note and everyone who finds it imagines that it is for them, with many unexpected consequences. As Willa balances her affection for Gabe and her desire to become a doctor, she comes closer and closer to solving the mystery.

I wanted to read this novel because I have enjoyed earlier books by the author Joanna Davidson Politano. I love Victorian settings and found the idea of an old note found particularly appealing.

The Love Note started a bit slowly for me but once Willa found her way to Crestwicke it became impossible for me to put the book down! The setting of the old, almost gothic, manor was dramatically evoked and there is a large cast of characters who are touched by this letter and the mystery.

I love the juxtaposition between Willa's scientist's mind and her longing for Gabe, like this passage:

"Huddled over John Snow’s Infectious Diseases and Germ Theory in the dimming light that evening, I marked passages about microscopic pathogens on medical instruments and forced myself to concentrate. I glanced up at my patient, who silently stabbed at her cross-stitch project in an ornate striped chair by the hearth. When Gabe appeared in the yard below striding toward the stables, all concentration disintegrated. Moments later, his stallion burst from the doors and galloped toward the hill. I felt a tug on my heart. Meet me at the ruins." (Kindle location 770).

The Love Note was a wonderful read and will surely be on a list of my favorites for this year. I enjoyed Willa as a character and admired her intelligence and determination.  I loved Willa and Gabe as a romantic pairing.  (Gabe is one of my favorite recent book boyfriends!)  The setting is gothic perfection.  The Love Note is a must read for fans of historical fiction, gothic settings, inspirational fiction (handled with a light, deft touch), and historical romance.

Book Synopsis

A forgotten letter. A secret love. A vast estate.
Can one determined woman put the pieces together?

Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1865 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor.

Everyone at Crestwicke has feelings--mostly negative ones--about the man who wrote the letter, but he seems to have disappeared. With plenty of enticing clues but few answers, Willa's search becomes even more complicated when she misplaces the letter and it passes from person to person in the house, each finding a thrilling or disheartening message in its words. 

Laced with mysteries large and small, this romantic Victorian-era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found is sure to delight.

Author Bio

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, and Finding Lady Enderly. When she's not homeschooling her small children, she spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.