Nature Of A Lady By Roseanna M. White

Nature of a Lady

by Roseanna M. White

Publisher: Bethany House

Series: The Secrets of the Isles

ISBN: 9780764237188

Being a huge fan of Roseanna's books, when I was given the opportunity to be on her launch team for the first time, I jumped at it!! She's one of those "auto reads" when any books of hers come out! She sent me her book for review.

Summary:

1906

Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn't favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles onto the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage's former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished. 

Oliver Tremayne--gentleman and clergyman--is determined to discover what happened to his sister, with the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth's summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it's the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can't quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.

As Libby and Oliver work together, they uncover ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

My Review:

Having read Roseanna's books I was excited to start a new series with her.

This was SO different than I'm used to with her writing. I say this in a good way. It's not at all what I was expecting. I'm so used to her stories being set in a city and the parameters that come with those kinds of stories, no matter the time period. With The Nature of a Lady, it was similar, but being on a set of small islands, gave her writing such a different spin. There are also several different POVs which I thoroughly enjoyed.

First we meet Libby. She's headed to the Scillies for the summer with her lady's maid to escape her brother pushing her into a betrothal with a man she has no desire to marry. The mysteries begin almost right away. They're staying in a home that still has the previous renter's items there. Very curious.

Then we begin to meet more and more characters of the story and the islands start to come to life. Mabena Moon is Libby's maid, but she also harbors some secrets. Being on the Scillies doesn't leave much room for secrets though! I enjoyed her storyline and all that she wrestles with. 

And then there's Oliver. I just love the male characters the author creates. They're always so easy to be drawn to, which makes sense when Libby feels a connection to him. The way Oliver connects with people seems to be handed down from his grandma Mamm-wynn. She is absolutely one of my favorite characters in this story!! I want to be a granny like her!

The storyline was rather intriguing. I love a good pirate tale and this one did not disappoint. There's certainly mystery and intrigue that surround the pirate story of this book. Oliver's sister, Beth, is missing and no one is sure what's going on. But strange things begin to happen with Libby and being mistaken for Beth, and then the mystery begins to unfold!

There's a strong faith element in the story and the gospel message is given in a way that makes sense with the story and the characters. It doesn't feel forced, but I love how it's explained. Watching Libby try to understand how God and science can blend together is wonderful, especially with me being a fan of flora and fauna. This story, and specifically Libby's storyline, really resonated with me. You don't have to have a love of plants and wildlife to enjoy the story, but if you do, then you'll enjoy it even more!

I already can't wait for book 2!! If you enjoy Julie Klassen, this will be up your alley!

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.roseannamwhite.com.

Finding Uncle Newton And His Nemesis By Douglas P. Cornelius & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Finding Uncle Newton and his Nemesis by Douglas P. Cornelius, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Finding Uncle Newton and his Nemesis 
Author: Douglas P. Cornelius
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Release Date: March 15, 2021
Genre: Middle Grade/Teen Historical Fiction (age 13-17)

She is outgoing, but orphaned. He is introverted, but a world-renowned scientist. Would moving in with Uncle Isaac Newton work? When his head was always in a book or the Bible? 

Teen-aged Catherine Barton tries desperately to connect, so seeks a match for her energy in the London coffeehouses. That women were not welcome there in the late 1690’s would not stop her, and she does find promising boyfriend John. 

Meanwhile, Uncle Isaac, as new Warden of the Mint, has his own challenges—nabbing counterfeiters, including the notorious, William Chaloner. He enlists Catherine to spy at the coffeehouse, and she welcomes the bond—all until boyfriend John gets implicated in a counterfeiting scheme. 

Then a case of smallpox, a pandemic scourge that had killed millions just decades earlier, sends her off to dreaded isolation in the countryside. 

And Uncle Isaac’s battle to nab the devious Chaloner turns into a challenging chess match. Will famous scientist Newton be embarrassed by a scofflaw from the street? Will Catherine ever find her true connection? 

Based on actual historical events and people. Author is a prior recipient of Moonbeam and Illumination Awards for books for faith-driven teens.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Book Excerpt:

She slumped into a chair at the kitchen table, a plate of raw

potatoes her only company. What were they doing there? Oh,

that’s right—she’d set them out earlier to prepare for dinner.

She stared blankly at those brown harvests of the earth. And

now the eyes of a large potato were staring right back at her.

Eyes—that’s what they called them, didn’t they? At least back

on the farm, she did, but that was the life she was trying to

escape, was it not? And now these were the kind of eyes trying

to engage hers? How unfair! How dare they? She so craved a

different set of eyes looking at hers with much more—eyes that

would connect, locking on hers with a sparkling admiration.

Yes, locking even with love—at least she could hope for that,

couldn’t she?

Summoning the small bit of energy still buried within

her, Catherine jumped to her feet and fumbled for a paring

knife in the drawer. She grasped the biggest potato—the one

so intent on staring at her—firmly in her hand, and after a

few determined strokes of the knife, the potato eyes were

gone. She took in a deep satisfying breath. Any trace of her

former life must be removed.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Illumination and Moonbeam award-winning author Douglas P. Cornelius hails from the Twin Cities, MN. He began writing after careers at Target, Ameriprise, and 3M. A Cornell University graduate, his hope is to reveal the lives of impactful Christian figures through story, rather than biography. Doug has been married for 45 years and has two children, three grandchildren, cat Selah, and new puppy Scout.

CONNECT WITH DOUGLAS: Website | Twitter

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Finding Uncle Newton and his Nemesis, winner's choice of another book by the author, and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 4, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 11, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Bookish Gifts For Mother's Day

I'm not an affiliate for any of these products, but I am a rep for Once Upon a Page Designs. Other than that, no kick backs for this mama.

First, let's check out Once Upon a Page Designs! She has the CUTEST bookish items. Everything from planters to large wreaths. So, whether your mom (or the mom in your life) loves Lord of the Rings or Pride & Prejudice, you're sure to find something she'd love in her shop. These are just some examples of what she creates!

Maybe she likes tea parties? If so, did you know author Roseanna M. White has Tea Party book clubs? Her next book releases May 4th and she's having a book club to discuss it in July! Not only does she have a book club, she sells bookish items like signed books, t-shirts, cups, and bags.

Hello my candle loving friends. You have GOT to have a mom or mom friend in your life who loves bookish candles, right? I mean, can she really be an avid reader if she doesn't have book related candles? You'd be helping her out if you added to her collection! So, check out Wick and Sarcasm for their selections of jar candles, tin candles, gift set, AND they even have a cute Mother's Day package.

Then there's Bliss, Books & Jewels! While not all of her items are bookish, quite a few are. What's fun is, she will tell you what book(s) each of her items would pair wonderfully with. How cool is that? Here are a few of her items you can find in her store:

There are lots of other fun ideas that you can search around for like book sleeves, handmade bookmarks, and more! Here are a couple of the bookish items that I have and think would be great:

Be sure to pin this so you can come back any time for these ideas!

Realms Of Light By Sandra Fernandez Rhoads & Giveaway

I received Realms of Light as an ebook so I could participate in this tour. I was so glad I read book one first because I would've been so lost reading them out of order. This isn't one of those series you can do that with. Just as a heads up.

About the Book

Book:  Realms of Light

Author: Sandra Fernandez Rhoads

Genre: Christian YA Contemporary Fantasy

Release date: April 13, 2021

From the Ashes, Spring Will Rise

On the run from the brutal Sage and his army of Legions and Cormorants, seventeen-year-old Cera Marlowe knows the only place strong enough to protect her is the Alliance Council Estate.

Cera’s introduction to the Estate is far from welcoming. As a Blight, her dueling powers of light and darkness make her a half-breed threat to the Alliance’s sacred powers. Cera’s ability to decipher hidden messages in classical artwork buys her shelter temporarily, but the clock is ticking as she’s faced with a daunting choice that could cost her everything.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

What an incredible follow up to book one, which I read in basically a day! Realms of Light starts off immediately where Mortal Sight leaves off (thank goodness for that). You absolutely must NOT read this duology out of order.

Cera, who have I have to keep telling myself is only just turning 17 has gotten a bit better at not flying off at the mouth and being impulsive. It's easy to forget what it was like to be that age. lol Of course, then I have to keep in mind all that she has to absorb in a short amount of time and wonder how anyone could do that.

Once again this is a fast-paced, non-stop story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat trying to read as fast as you can. It absolutely pulls you along to read faster to know what's going to happen. Speaking of which, just when Cera thinks she knows which way is up, her axis shifts. For her sake, I hope certain events go one way, but I'm not sure if that's how it's supposed to go! Insert a LOT of nail biting. 

We meet a host of new characters in book 2, not all of whom I'm a fan. In fact, I may only be a fan of a couple. hahaha But, they're all pivotal to the story, which makes for good reading. A couple of them were so irritating I wanted to become a Blade and use some Paradise Steel on them. I'm pretty sure I would've been a loose cannon like Cera. She really steps up though. She really has no choice with the war that's raging around her.

Once again, I'm blown away by how the author weaves in artists and poets throughout the story. I can't imagine how a mind creates a new story out of those or even weaves them into one she already has in her head. I feel like she would've been a Guardian in her story.

I wasn't quite prepared for the story to end with book 2. I could've handled even one more book! I can't talk about the end... So many thoughts about it. You read it, and we'll talk. Deal?

About the Author

Sandra Fernandez Rhoads is the author of Mortal Sight. She is a Cuban-Colombian living in Dallas, Texas with her husband and four children. She has a deep love for the artist community, and is an active part of Art House Dallas and the Fort Worth Writer’s group. She holds an M.A. in English with a focus on John Milton and has an insatiable love for coffee, laughter, and adventure. And dinosaurs.

More from Sandra

What if there was an unseen war affecting our everyday world, but only a few could see the battle? And what if the secrets to this other realm and winning the war were embedded in classical art and literature?

These questions led me to the ideas that formed the Colliding Line duology, and final installment in the series, Realms of Light—the story about a select group of emerging artists called the Awakened that are given unique powers to help combat the forces of evil.

The protagonist, a young girl named Cera Marlowe, quickly took the lead in the first draft of the story. On a quest for her identity, she steps into her destiny by joining a community of unlikely warriors who would need to overcome great odds, learn to work together, and battle their past in order to defeat the enemy.

The story took more than five years to write and the first draft was over 180k words. The use of classical art emerged slowly over that time. But the verses from John Milton’s Paradise Lost fit seamlessly from the start, paralleling the fight for truth, identity, and war in our fallen world.

At its core, the story is about embracing the past to help shape our future. My hope is that readers see classical art and literature in a new way, and find their own creativity as a much-needed gift to the world.

Blog Stops

Rebecca Tews, April 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 29

Texas Book-aholic, April 30

Inklings and notions, May 1

Woven by Words, May 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 2

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 3

Genesis 5020, May 3

For the Love of Literature, May 4

For Him and My Family, May 5

Wishful Endings, May 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 7

Through the Fire Blogs, May 7

deb’s Book Review, May 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 9

Blogging With Carol, May 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 10

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 11

April Hayman, Author, May 11

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sandra is giving away the grand prize package of $40 Christianbook.com gift card, custom Bookmark, custom signed bookplate, custom Realms of Light notebook, and library book pattern book / tablet sleeve!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10b5d/realms-of-light-celebration-tour-giveaway

May's Instagram Inspired Book Challenge

Are you on Instagram? If so, @sassybookishmama and I would love to have you join us with our daily prompts. We're a pretty laid back challenge. It's not really even a challenge. They're just prompts to help give you ideas of what to post on Instagram if you have a bookish account feel free to play along.

Post as often as you'd like. You could post every single day (and show us up) or just once in a while. We just hope the prompts will be helpful if you can't think of something to post. Don't forget to use our #InspiredBookChallenge hashtag and tag us in your shares so that we know you're participating. If you want the graphic, message me on Instagram at @books.n.blossoms and I'll shoot it over to you.