A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy

A Mosaic of Wings

A respected, fellow writer and friend recommended I check out this book, and I’m so glad I did!

Let’s begin with the summary:

It's 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she's graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father's footsteps by getting her master's degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father's legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.

India isn't what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India—and of Owen—fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.

In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices—between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she's always thought she wanted and the man she's come to love.

And now, my review:

I appreciated Kimberly’s approach to this historical. She addressed timely themes, like the value of women—our intellect, our dreams/aspirations, our purpose, our careers, our lives and life choices.

Entomology is an interesting choice for the heroine’s/main character’s field of study. We never stray from her POV, and sometimes it’s rather buggy. But very interesting. From the author’s letter we learn her daughter inspired her choice of writing about the study of bugs, and that the author had to overcome some creepy-crawlies in order to make her heroine’s passion come to life. That aspect is very well done, without being graphic. She draws readers into the fascination.

The author includes humor, and I chuckled a few times. Her prose sang in several places, though I did find the dreaded “couldn’t help but” a few times. The romance is well done, but that thread doesn't overpower this heroine's growth, career path, and calling pursuit.

Oh, this heroine! So strong and outspoken—one of my favorite MCs in a long time. She understands, thanks to the love of her father, how valuable she is as God’s creation, as a person with her own calling and interests. She’s a thinker first, so she’s not stereotypical. I loved her snappy comebacks and her well-thought-through arguments. My favorite lines:

"She held herself erect, secure in the knowledge that she was Nora Beatrice Shipley and deserved (this man's) respect. He might not be willing to give it. But she wouldn't settle for anything less than what her father had demanded for her." (page 105)

I liked that she risked her career and her life to help someone in desperate need. Her courage, intelligence, and sacrifice, coupled with her flaws and growth, made her a well-drawn character whom readers will long remember.

Great research! We visited India in the story—exotic and intriguing. Well done!

And so many bugs, mostly butterflies, so I wasn’t too creeped out. 😉

Overall, an insightful, delicious read. A standout this year!

Highly recommended.

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

Doesn’t that look like a lovely spot to settle in and read a summertime novel? 

Let’s begin with the summary:

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find yourself again. 

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a goodbye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated, but a flyer at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community provides a refuge while she contemplates her next steps.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw.

Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets. Lily soon finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over—and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where she expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve experienced so far.

And now, my review:

Our heroine is challenged to tackle something new as she heals from her painful past. Fortunately, a no-nonsense mentor has mercy, hires her, and encourages her to take that first step because the rest will follow. I loved Rose’s strength and how she readily shared it with Lily.

The author’s descriptions evoke feelings as we live in Lily’s world. You’ll find themes of sympathy and grief, but also recovery and healing and choosing life.

I found a few missed editorial issues, like rambling narrative. I also felt we needed a stronger through-line story question to keep readers hooked. Of course we wonder if our heroine will thrive and rebuild her life, but it wasn’t enough. The story lost my interest at about two-thirds of the way through, after I'd skimmed several scenes.

We get to enjoy fun secondary characters, but unfortunately this novel didn’t work for me. Still, I wish the author and publisher all the best.

Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter

Carolina Breeze

I enjoyed the first book in Denise’s Bluebell Inn Romance series, so I was grateful to read this book about the second of three adult siblings running an inn in North Carolina.

Let’s begin with the summary:

A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything.

Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup and celebrity scandal, and she finds it in the lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina—the location of her canceled honeymoon. She wants nothing more than to hide and wait for the tabloids to die down.

Soon after her arrival at the Bluebell Inn, Mia meets Levi Bennett, who runs the inn along with his two younger sisters. Drawn to one another from the start, Mia trusts Levi to keep her location from the press, and Levi confides in Mia about the precarious financial state of the inn—a secret he’s been keeping from his sisters.

When Mia and Levi discover an old journal that hints at a rare diamond necklace hidden in the inn, they set off on a treasure hunt to find the long-lost heirloom. What they don’t expect to surface are feelings they thought were safely locked away. Mia and Levi must decide if falling in love again is too big a risk—or if it will uncover a treasure of its own instead.

And now, my review:

I love the setting and revisiting characters I’ve come to care about. Levi is a by-the-rules kind of big brother, shouldering the responsibilities of the family’s inn, at least financially, on his own. He’s keeping secrets from his sisters. He's also against dating any of their guests.

Our heroine is an actress, which was a fun profession to follow. Denise does a great job naming male motives, which I appreciated. I liked that they had to fake a relationship for the sake of her PR, but it wasn’t as romantic as it could have been, perhaps due to missed opportunities.

There were a few places where the males didn’t sound like males, and I’m not referring to Alpha versus Beta male POVs. They just sounded syrupy. Overall, the book felt an effort to avoid any type of conflict or danger or trouble. Conflicts were resolved quickly. The characters got over their problems quickly.

Also, unusual for her writing was a lack of well-written romantic scenes. Many of those scenes felt contrived rather than natural. We also had some head-hopping, but that was likely worked out in the later version. There were several clichés in the narrative and/or dialogue that made her characters seem older, in terms of their generation, than they were supposed to be. Some of the conflicts and character reactions also felt contrived and dull, juvenile.

Unfortunately, I also found some redundancies at least in the ARC. The story lost me when the romance seemed to resolve too early. We lost touch with the why-not—why they cannot be together. The external conflicts regarding the inn didn’t keep me hooked. I gave up at about 70 percent.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series since I enjoyed the first one so much. I wish the author and publisher well. 

Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Let’s begin with the summary:

Lady Sabrina endured an abusive marriage, a miscarriage, and early widowhood to emerge as a smart, successful, confident woman who found a way to make her mark in a man’s world. She has friends and purpose, but cannot hide from the emptiness she feels when the parties are over and the friends have gone home to families she will never have.

Harry Stillman may be charming and handsome, but he’s a gambler and a rake who has made a mockery of his privileges. He turns to the mysterious Lord Damion for financial relief from his debts, but still ends up beaten nearly senseless by thugs and left in an ally.

When Lady Sabrina comes upon Harry after the attack, she remembers the kindness Harry once showed to her six years ago and brings him to her estate to heal. Though their relationship begins on rocky footing, it soon mellows into friendship, then trust. But Lady Sabrina needs to keep Harry at a distance, even if he is becoming the kind of man worthy of her heart. After all, she is keeping a secret that, if exposed, could destroy everything she’s so carefully built.

And now, my review:

I love regency romance, and Josi is one of my go-to authors for this genre. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t appeal to me. The hero is exceedingly unlikable. He’s in a very dark place in the first third of the book where we spend time watching him make foolish choices. Since I didn't detect any nobility once he's a grown man, I didn't keep reading.

The heroine has suffered a lot of losses but I couldn’t feel them with her. She doesn’t seem to grieve or care, so readers won’t feel emotions either, which is a disconnect most readers may not appreciate. It's possible, as this is the third book in a series, that reading the earlier books would have helped. I read Daisies and Devotion and enjoyed it. I don't recall the tie-ins, if there are any. 

I did like that she’s an independent, wealthy woman who didn’t need to scrape out a living alone. The heroine is likable in some ways, but I couldn’t quite connect with her. If either character changes later, I didn’t read far enough to see it. I also didn’t read far enough to find the romance, which, paired with my other concerns, probably influenced my choice to give up on this story.

Normally, I love Proper Romances, but this one was too cold, in my opinion. Still I wish the author and publisher all the best. I will check out Josi's future work. 

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

I hadn’t read anything by this author in the past, but many of my reader friends loved this book. Glad I checked it out.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.

When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.

With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.

And now, my review:

This novel hooked me from the first scenario. The hero is larger than life, overcoming repeated life-threatening injuries, something you can get away with in fiction. I liked how, though he was flawed and broken himself, he risked himself to help others. Along his rescue journey, he picks up a crew of misfits, like himself. They rescue each other and heal some of their hurts together. The topic of modern-day slavery feels immediate and will keep readers engaged.


As I read the e-book, I highlighted several lines. The author is insightful, and his prose requires a double take at times. As a general fiction novel, this book tackles heavy topics of human trafficking and the violence of pursuing the traffickers. Expect blood. There is a thread of romance, along with a thread of a previous love story. I liked the sense of justice and clearly contrasting values/morals, where we root for the good guys and delight when the evil ones fall. If you’re a sensitive reader, as I am, you may need to skim a few passages, but I didn’t find those elements overwhelming.

I found repeated patterns of “to be” verbs paired with -ing words: like “was swimming” or “were making,” and there were several POV missteps. The jarring pattern of “began _____-ing” pulled me from the story multiple times. (It’s impossible to turn off the inner editor.) I also became a little lost on occasion. But by the end, readers will understand earlier mysteries. There were moments of melodrama and what some might call schmaltz, but the good outweighs the bad here. Any or all of these issues may have been reworked from the ARC (advanced reader copy, which I read) to the final version.

The other missing element for me was deep POV. Readers are kept in the dark about what the MC is thinking/feeling. This may be because this novel leans toward the suspense genre, which hides things from readers for the sake of mystery.

I recommend this novel, and I’ll watch for the next book in this series.

The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd

The Thief of Lanwyn Manor

Isn't that a lovely cover? This is book two in the Cornwall Novels series.

Let’s begin with the summary:

In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?

Cornwall, England, 1818

Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.

As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood—and that of the people around them—the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.

When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender.

And now, my review:

The story opened with a strong hook and a harrowing situation. Both our hero and our heroine are courageous, which is a trait that made me root for them.

We have the usual Regency elements: balls and societal expectations of finding the right match for matrimony. The escape of a distant time period setting. Julia goes to live with her meddlesome aunt, while Isaac has the unstated competition of his brother for Julia’s affections.

I could relate with the heroine’s desire to reinvent herself and refresh her life after her loss. The author’s descriptions of locations helped me experience the setting with her.

Unfortunately, I found melodrama and wording that didn’t sound as if it came from a male POV. The mining focus reminded me of the Poldark Saga novels. Fans of the books or the PBS adaptation may appreciate this story.

I’ll confess I only made it to 30 percent of this novel as at that point, I was no longer hooked. I didn’t find enough advancement in their relationship to keep me reading. Still, I wish the author and her publisher all the best.