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Review: “A Reluctant Melody” by Sandra Ardoin

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For such a complex novel filled with twists and turns, the story line of “A Reluctant Melody” remains clear, easy to follow, and captures your attention throughout.

It’s 1892 and Joanna Stewart is a young widow of twenty-six, but the circumstances and bad decisions she has made in her past have brought enough tragedy and rejection to last a lifetime. All she wants to do now is sell her home bequeathed by her late husband and start a new life, far from the accusing eyes and castigating tongues of the town. These haughty neighbors only reinforce what she already knows: Her sins are unforgivable.

Just as she finds a glimmer of hope when a buyer makes an offer on her house, she is instead forced to face the very man who ruined her life.  Instead of running away, she must wrestle with her guilt all over again, as well as the feelings of attraction she has long repressed—feelings that sent her on a downward spiral so long ago.

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The settings in “A Reluctant Melody” by Sandra Ardoin sweep you back in time to 1890’s North Carolina. Ms. Ardoin has done her research well, helping the reader feel the sights, sounds and pacing of the era. Every detail from clothing to hair styles to the stricter mores of the time transport a reader to another time and place.

Although the atmosphere fills your senses, it is the characters who truly shine in this complicated yet well developed story. Ms. Ardoin creates believable protagonists and antagonists who draw you into understanding the complexities of life, the ramifications of sin, and the redemption that is possible for all if they will accept it.

This is a historical I will be recommending for a long time. A five-star tale of intrigue, hope and romance. Well done!

 

Author Bio:

Sandra Ardoin_Headshot

Sandra Ardoin writes inspirational historical romance. She’s the author of The Yuletide Angel and A Reluctant Melody. A wife and mom, she’s also a reader, football fan, NASCAR watcher, garden planter, country music listener, antique store prowler. Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com and on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Join her email community to receive occasional updates and a free short story.

 

You can enter her launch team giveaway by clicking here

Review of “Cassia” by Susan F. Craft

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It’s difficult to pinpoint what I appreciate the most about Susan Craft’s latest release entitled “Cassia.” Is it the well-crafted and impeccably researched story? The amazing tale filled with love and adventure? Or the fact that the author describes the true face of evil, not falling into the unrealistic device of romanticizing pirates who seek to kill and destroy? It is each of these aspects of this third book in her series (that includes “Chamomile” and “Laurel”) that had me riveted to my kindle late into the night. I am just saddened to bid farewell to these precious characters, so skillfully created by the author.

But I applaud Ms. Craft’s satisfying finish to an amazing family saga. And I never fear that the author has short-changed us on getting the historical facts correct. Her amazing ability to blend details from the past with an enticing story for present day readers never ceases to amaze me.

Another five star novel to satisfy this historical romance reader. Well done!

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Author Bio:

Susan F. Craft best

Susan F. Craft writes inspirational historical romantic suspense. Her Xanthakos Family Trilogy includes her Revolutionary War novel, The Chamomile, which won the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Pick (re-released April 2015); its sequel, Laurel (released in January 2015); and the third in the trilogy, Cassia, (released in September 2015). Her publisher is Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (LPC), and her literary agent is Linda Glaz of Hartline Literary Agency. To assist authors to “get it right about horses in their works,” Susan worked with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile A Writer’s Guide to Horses that can be found at www.lrgaf.org .

She recently retired after a 45-year career as a communications director, editor, and proofreader.  She currently serves on the LPC Heritage Beacon Imprint publication board and works for LPC as a manuscript editor of historical fiction.

Forty-five years ago, she married her high school sweetheart, and they have two adult children, one granddaughter, and a granddog. An admitted history nerd, she enjoys researching for her novels, painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch watching the rabbits and geese eat her daylilies.

You can purchase “Cassia” on Amazon by clicking here. Available in both Kindle and paperback.