Review: Taming Lady Temperance by Karen Witemeyer

 

Taming Lady Temperance (The Secret Society of Spinsters #1) by Karen Witemeyer 

Publication Date: February 17th 2026 by Bethany House Publishers & Recorded Books

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 51min

Narrator: Kate Forbes

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Noreen O’Sullivan is determined to shut down the local tavern, warning anyone who’ll listen that strong drink destroys families, something she knows all too well. So, when she’s invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, she’s thrilled. With their support, she finally has the numbers and the confidence to push her cause forward.

 

Sheriff James Paxton admires Noreen’s conviction, even if her crusade tends to stir up trouble with the tavern’s owner and patrons. The complaints keep landing on his desk, and he worries her boldness will eventually put her in danger. When Noreen asks for his help, he knows he must remain neutral as the county’s peacekeeper, but that doesn’t stop James from quietly offering guidance and keeping a watchful eye on her.

 

At first, Noreen seemed a bit fanatical, but once her heartbreaking past came to light, her determination made perfect sense. Her stepfather was truly awful, and I was relieved to see she never let him break her spirit. I admired her grit, her compassion, and her willingness to listen and grow.

 

Taming Lady Temperance was a touching romance rooted in redemption and forgiveness. Faith and scripture play a meaningful role, but the story never felt preachy, more uplifting and hopeful. There’s a thread of mystery and danger woven throughout, and I genuinely worried for Noreen, though she always had her Spinster Sisters, and James at her back. I’m excited for the next romance in the series. Maybe Jane or Martha will get their turn!

 

I alternated between an audio version and e-copy and can recommend either version. I thought Kate Forbes did a wonderful job narrating all the voices; male, female and a range of ages seamlessly and with appropriate emotions!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When passion for justice conflicts with the heart, which will prevail?

Noreen O'Sullivan is an enthusiastic member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and believes herself called to defend the cause of prohibition. When she's invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, Noreen jumps at the chance to rally others to her movement and shut down the local saloon for good. However, her passionate campaigning often puts her at odds with the men around her--including the local deputy.

Deputy James Paxton believes in preserving the peace, but Miss O'Sullivan has been disturbing his peace for months. If James wants to be elected sheriff, he can't afford to be seen as her ally. But when Noreen ropes him into helping her plan a temperance march, their growing closeness sparks unexpected feelings. Then tensions escalate at the saloon and accusations fly. James must choose between upholding his badge and protecting the woman who's captured his heart--knowing either choice could cost him everything.

Karen Witemeyer presents a swoony Western romance with a determined heroine, cowboys, prohibition, and the rivals-to-lovers and duty vs. desire tropes. Fans of Mary Connealy and frontier romances set in the Old West will savor this clean, historical read.

 

Review: Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

 

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

Publication Date: May 6th 2025 by St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 11 mins

Narrator: Rupert Graves

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Henrietta and Charlotte Stevenson, daughters of Supreme Court Justice Stevenson are disheartened by the barriers women faced in 1865. Their father was a loving, progressive man, but stifling in his affections as he strived to keep them safe after losing his wife tragically.

 

The sisters strike up a correspondence with beloved author Jane Austen’s brother, Sir Francis Austen, who has survived her, but is very old. At ninety-one, who knows how long he has left, so when they receive an invitation to come visit, the sisters jump at the chance. They book a passage and set sail without the knowledge or consent of their father, and they embark on a trip that leaves a lasting mark on Henrietta and Charlotte’s life.

 

I was captivated by Henrietta and Charlotte’s journey! Both sisters had a zest for learning and life, forwarding women’s rights, but they also had matters of the heart to contend with. My emotions were all over the place with everything that went on: relationships and ambitions, and the actions of others played into the story. The visit with Sir Francis Austen was bittersweet.

 

There was a lot that transpired, and the ending centered on Henrietta’s choices and the repercussions with a showdown in court!

 

I loved both sisters and was invested in their HEAs! There were a lot of interesting characters, friends made, and side stories, as well.

I alternately read and listened to the audio of the story and can recommend either version. Rupert Graves did a fine job acting out all the characters, so each felt distinct and their emotions came through loud and clear.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.

In Philadelphia, Nicholas & Haslett Nelson—bachelor brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War, and rare book dealers—are also in correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, who lures them, too, to England, with the promise of a never-before-seen, rare Austen artifact to be evaluated.

The Stevenson sisters sneak away without a chaperone to sail to England. On their ship are the Nelson brothers, writer Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason—wealthy daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator with her eye on the Nelsons—and, a would-be last-minute chaperone to the Stevenson sisters, Justice Thomas Nash.

It's a voyage and trip that will dramatically change each of their lives in ways that are unforeseen, with the transformative spirit of the love of literature and that of Jane Austen herself.

About the author:

Natalie Jenner is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY and BLOOMSBURY GIRLS, which have been translated in over twenty languages worldwide. Natalie's third novel, EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, releases on May 14, 2024. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer and career coach and once owned an independent bookstore in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.

Review: Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White

 

Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White

Publication Date: September 1st 2024 by Bethany House Publishers

Pages: 208

Source: Publicity team/Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

As the holidays approach, Lady Mariah has two suitors coming to visit and she’s a little worried. There’s Lord Gyldenkrone, a cousin to the Prince of Denmark, seeking a bride to take back to home, and then Cyril Lightbourne, the heir to the estate Mariah lives at. Mariah and Cyril had such fun dreaming up stories when he visited while they were children, and they corresponded after, but their letters became fewer and farther in between as the years went by. And recent news connected Cyril with Lady Pearl, a mercenary type of debutante, so Mariah wonders about what kind of man he’s become.

 

Lady Mariah’s whimsical outlook on life brought joy to so many around her. Which man will appreciate her for who she is?

 

This was a sweet and heartwarming romance! It was filled with cozy, warm, and delicious winter traditions, community and romance. It also highlighted the good that can come when people examine their own actions and try to rise above and do the right thing. Faith is mentioned, but not preachy. By the end there were two romances in the story, and I was pleased with how it all turned out!

4 Stars

Book Description:

The Nutcracker and Edwardian-Era England combine to weave a magical tale of love and friendship at Christmastime.

As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn't seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she'll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family's misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas. Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?

AUTHOR BIO

Roseanna M. White (RoseannaMWhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.

Review: Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright

Publication Date: April 9th 2024 by Bethany House Publishers

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Norah struggles to run the bed and breakfast on 322 Predicament Avenue, a dream of her sister Naomi’s, whose murder still haunts her, thirteen years later.  But that’s not the only murder to occur at the old farmhouse. True-crime podcaster, Sebastian Blaine shows up at the B & B to feature the murder of Isabelle Addington, a woman who was murdered over a hundred years earlier at 322 Predicament Avenue. Norah fears his podcast will drudge up her sister’s unsolved case and all the crippling memories with it. However, as details come to light, Norah realizes there are things she didn’t know, casting what she thought was true in doubt. With Sebastian’s help Norah digs deeper to find the truth.

Over a hundred years earlier in 1901, Effie and her sister Polly stumble upon a grisly scene taking place at 322 Predicament Avenue, and at first no one believes them. Soon after a Mr. Anderson seeks Effie out after hearing about the event and proclaims the murdered woman must be his wife, Isabelle Addington. They search for clues together, and it seems they are getting close to the truth as Effie and Polly narrowly escape harm.

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue was an engrossing mystery, but the pace was slow at first and took a bit to get into. From the start there was an atmospheric, spooky vibe and I wondered if the danger was from supernatural or real-life threats. You’ll have to read it to find out! There’s also a bit of romance for both Effie and Norah, but it wasn’t front and center. The story ramps up in suspense chapter by chapter and ends in an exciting and satisfying conclusion!

4 Stars

Book Description:

As the walls of the house at Predicament Avenue reveal their hidden truths, two women--generations apart--discover that fear and foreboding are no respecters of time.

In 1901, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer's retribution. Effie must prove what her sister saw, but when a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie's quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in the abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue. Just as Effie discovers what she seeks, she finds that the blood staining the walls will forever link her to a scandal she couldn't imagine, and to a woman whose secrets promise to curse any who would expose them.

A century later, Norah Richman grapples with social anxiety and grief as she runs her late great-aunt's bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue. But Norah has little affection for the house and is committed only to carrying out her murdered sister's dreams until crime historian and podcaster Sebastian Blaine arrives to investigate the ghostly legacy of the house's claim to fame--the murder of Isabelle Addington. When a guest is found dead, the incident is linked to Isabelle's murder, and Norah and Sebastian must work together to uncover the century-old curse that has wrapped 322 Predicament Avenue in its clutches and threatens far more than death.

Author Bio:

Jaime Jo Wright (JaimeWrightBooks.com) is the author of ten novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also a two-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and felines.

Review: A Noble Scheme by Roseanna M. White

 

A Noble Scheme (The Imposters #2) by Roseanna M. White

Publication Date: March 19th 2024 by Bethany House Publishers

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

A year ago, tragedy separated Gemma Parker and Graham Wharton, leaving them heartbroken and bitter, but with both being part of the Imposters, an investigative group used by aristocrats, they can’t permanently part ways.

Gemma and Graham must go uncover together when a ten-year-old boy is kidnapped, and a ransom is demanded. The clues lead them to a house party out in the country. They each must use their skills to uncover the motive and find the boy before it’s too late.

This is Christian fiction, so the element of faith is prevalent in the story, but it wasn’t in a preachy way. I didn’t mind the way it was presented.

I was thoroughly engrossed by both the mystery and the personal heartbreak of Gemma and Graham. Graham is angry with God and Gemma is angry with Graham. Yet, as they work together forgiveness, healing, and love filter in bit by bit. Their tragedy broke my heart and I totally understood why they were so shattered, but I cheered as they drew close again! Gemma and Graham’s personal journey is mixed in with the urgency of the situation, a little boy in danger. I was eager to see how it’d all play out!

This is book two in the series, but it wasn’t necessary to read the first one, as it was a separate mystery with a different romantic couple as the focus.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Gemma Parks is known throughout high society as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talent to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the elite firm's members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren't for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his soul in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma not only to restore the missing boy, but also to win back the only woman he's ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham must devise a noble scheme to save the boy's life and heal their hearts.

Christy Award-winning author Roseanna M. White whisks you away to Edwardian-era England in an exhilarating tale of glamor, intrigue, and romance set among high society's most elite--and most dangerous--families.

Blog Tour Review: Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy

 

Chasing the Horizon (A Western Light #1) by Mary Connealy

Publication Date: February 13th 2024 by Bethany House Publishers

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Booksbub | Publisher | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Ever since her mother was wrongly committed to an insane asylum by her awful father, Beth Rutledge has been carefully planning a way to get her out. She needs to get them both away from his cruel domination. Heading west on a wagon train isn’t something her father would ever expect, so they pose as sisters and settle into the long journey ahead. Hopefully, they can stay under the radar, because Beth knows her father will never stop looking for them.

Jake Hoult is one of the wagon scouts helping the train make the journey out west. A trip he’s done many times over. He suspects there’s more to Beth’s story. It seems these women are running from danger, so he keeps alert and observant.

As the days and months pass by, Jake and Beth become close, discussing hopes, dreams and the things needed to make their plans successful. Their sweet romance filled me with joy!

 

It chills me not so long ago, a woman could be committed easily by her husband or father on their word alone. Often for flimsy excuses. The treatments sounded brutal and sadistic, and my heart broke for Beth’s mother and what she endured. Thankfully, the recollections were a small part of the story.

Chasing the Horizon was an exciting, suspenseful adventure! I find stories about the wagon trains making their way out west fascinating! What an undertaking it would’ve been! I was thoroughly engrossed in Beth and her mother’s journey. Beth’s father was an awful man, and I was on edge over his continued pursuit, but his nasty character didn’t go unnoticed. I was pleased with how it all turned out and I’m looking forward to the next in the series featuring Kat and Sebastian in Toward the Dawn!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Her only chance at freedom waits across the horizon

Upon uncovering her tyrannical father's malevolent plot to commit her to an asylum, Beth Rutledge fabricates a plan of her own. She will rescue her mother, who had already been sent to the asylum, and escape together on a wagon train heading west. Posing as sisters, Beth and her mother travel with the pioneers in hopes of making it to Idaho before the others start asking too many questions.

Wagon-train scout Jake Holt senses that the mysterious women in his caravan are running from something. When rumors begin to spread of Pinkerton agents searching relentlessly for wanted criminals who match the description of those on his wagon train, including Beth, she begins to open up to him, and he learns something more sinister is at hand. Can they risk trusting each other with their lives--and their hearts--when danger threatens their every step?

 

AUTHOR BIO

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies with cowboys. She is independently publishing a contemporary romantic suspense series called Garrison’s Law, book one is Loving the Texas Lawman. Her new historical series, High Sierra Sweethearts begins with The Accidental Guardian. She is also the author of these series: Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Wild at Heart, Cimarron Legacy, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie's daughters, and has many other books.

She is a two-time Carol Award winner and has been a finalist for the Rita and Christy Awards. She’s a lifelong Nebraskan and lives with her very own romantic cowboy hero. She’s got four grown daughters and four spectacular grandchildren.

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