Tag: covenant communications

Book Review: The Heart of the Rebellion by Sian Ann Bessey

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 276 pages
Author: Sian Ann Bessey
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: November 1st, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

September 1400

King Richard II of England is dead. And after three years in His Majesty’s service, Rhys ap Tudor and his brother Gwilym are finally free to return to their ancestral home in North Wales. Their long- anticipated homecoming is overshadowed, however, by the harsh changes they encounter in their once peaceful land. The new king, Henry IV, rules with an iron fist, and the country is ripe for rebellion. Instantly thrust into the forefront of the conflict, the proud Tudor brothers enter the fight for their freedom.

Lady Catrin Buckley is alert to the unrest swirling around her. As the daughter of an English father and a Welsh mother, she knows too well the trouble her lineage poses. Her own battle, however, is one of the heart: she is to be married to a man she neither knows nor loves. Then an unexpected encounter with the enigmatic Rhys ap Tudor changes everything. Soon, Catrin finds herself swept into a rebellion that could not only change history but also rewrite her own future.

GOOD HISTORICAL.

I am trying to clear out my audible line up so it doesn’t make me anxious with how many books I want to get through and a libby lull allowed me to get some good back list books! I enjoyed this historical a lot. I loved the unique time period setting and the intensity of emotions between characters.

It’s a great audiobook and I loved the narrator. I love when historical feel well researched and I always walk away feeling like I learned more about the setting (even when the characters are fictional). The romance is sweet and passionate too. The draw between Rhys and Catrin can be felt through the pages. Filled with action and betrayals this was a fantastic listen.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Miss Adeline’s Match by Joanna Barker

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 263 pages
Author: Joanna Barker
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: April 1st, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Miss Adeline Hayes is the perfect lady’s companion: pleasant, conversational, and unceasingly proper. But when her closest friend, Charity Edgeworth, breaks off her arranged marriage without explanation, even Adeline’s superior skills are put to the test. Charity’s father banishes the two young women to the country, sending Adeline with a charge to find Charity a husband or suffer dire consequences.

As Adeline takes on the role of reluctant matchmaker, she discovers more than one obstacle in her path. Not only does Charity prefer escaping in books to socializing, but Adeline soon finds her own attentions distracted by the standoffish—and irritatingly handsome—Mr. Evan Whitfield. Amidst an eventful foxhunt and the unexpected arrival of Charity’s former betrothed, Adeline simply doesn’t have time for a battle of wits with Evan. But the two are continually drawn together until Adeline begins to question her tightly guarded convictions about love and marriage.

However, when secrets are revealed and truths made known, Adeline must face her most fearsome obstacle yet: herself.

GREAT FOR FALL.

I feel like the mention of apple orchards automatically has me feeling a fall vibe so I loved that I picked this one up in October. I am now caught up on all of Joanna Barker’s full story back list!! Gosh I love her books.

This was a charming read. I loved the forced proximity based setting and the growth in Adeline’s character. She had to make up for some big mistakes and I’m glad she found her way in the end.

I do think the Charity plot took up way too much of the book and overwhelmed the romance. I wanted more of Adeline and Evan, less of everything else.

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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ARC Book Review: Roads of Resistance (Falcon Point Historical #2) by A.L. Sowards

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 370 pages
Author: A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The line between enemy and ally can shift in a heartbeat.

1940

After her father is murdered, fifteen-year-old Ingrid Lang flees her home in Austria only to become separated from her siblings and stranded in the Dutch city of Arnhem with a pair of broken legs. Her future would be bleak if not for the kindness of a local doctor and his daughter Anita van der Veen. But before Ingrid can finish her healing and continue her journey to find her brother and sister, the forces of Nazi Germany overrun the Netherlands, leaving her trapped in an enemy occupation.

Four years later, Gerrit Hendriks, wanted by the Gestapo for his work with the underground, flees to his grandfather’s home in Arnhem, where he finds Ingrid and the van der Veens deeply ensconced in the local resistance. But suspicion, prejudice, and conflicting beliefs soon leave Ingrid and Gerrit at odds with each other.

As Ingrid and Gerrit gather intelligence for the Allies, smuggle airmen and other refugees to safety, and plan acts of defiance against the Nazis, irritations soften and teamwork blossoms. They soon realize that if they want to have any hope of outsmarting a German intelligence officer with a tie to Ingrid’s past, they’ll have to work together. As Ingrid and Gerrit begin to recognize just how much they mean to each other, they find themselves in the middle of an enormous airborne operation, and the imminent battles have the potential to change everything—for Ingrid, for Gerrit, and for the Netherlands.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the gifted copy.

ABOUT TOOK ME OUT.

A.L. Sowards continues to be one of my favorite historical authors and this was another book that took me on an intense journey. I love the way that A.L. pulls out these complex characters and getting to see many angles of the war and how it effected everyone for years to come.

I just loved Gerrit and Ingrid. There are so many nuanced things I could discuss about them independently and as a couple that I could fill pages with. The resilience and strength and the willpower each step took as the years stretched was empowering to read. I love their love.

A.L. never shies away from the intensity and brutality of war and that was once again present here. I liked the Netherlands setting because it’s one I don’t know as much about and only added to the story. Sowards knows how to craft an amazingly intricate and beautiful book and it wrenches my heart every dang time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: WW2 themes (starvation, mentions of concentration camps, work camps and more), loss of life, weapons violence, physical violence, loss of a baby, grief/depression depiction

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ARC Book Review: No Match for Love by Karen Thornell

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Karen Thornell
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: September 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lucas Berkeley has a secret—one he cannot risk anyone discovering. After all, a future marquess belongs in drawing rooms, not underground boxing circles. Yet with a painful past and a need to control every aspect of his life, it is his only outlet. And when his brother begins to court the one woman who could ruin everything, Lucas needs the secret diversion more than ever.

Lydia Faraday is exhausted from living a life in which she has no say. When her taciturn guardian drags her to London intent on marrying her off, she determines to thwart his plans. If she is to have freedom in any aspect of her existence, it ought to be with whom she marries. And when a solicitor turns up with new information, she thinks that just might be possible. Or it may complicate her future further.

 When Lucas and Lydia become entangled in a dangerous scheme, they cannot help but become closer, even as the obstacles between them grow. The last thing either is looking for is love. But their hearts have different plans.

Thank you to Austen Prose and Covenant Communications for the gifted copy.

WELL.

I wanted to love this and I don’t know if it was totally a me issue or if I just had a disconnect with this book. A lot of the writing felt stagnant. It was missing an aura of romance and the characters didn’t have a lot of those crucial connection moments to build up to the kissing scenes I love.

I did like these characters. Lydia learned to stand on her own and I liked her personality and demeanor. I still don’t know how she was all of a sudden medically trained enough to perform stitches?? But I guess that’s a question for another day.

Lucas was good too. He was endearing and kind. I liked the effort he put into helping others and learning to let go of his guilt. His brother was sweet too and I loved the addition of Charles to the story.

I found the plot to be somewhat incohesive. It felt like two stories were happening and they didn’t smoothly come together. I found myself having a hard time picking this up to finish.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low; some blood depiction
  • Content Warnings: physical altercations, physical assault, sexual assault (unwanted kissing)

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