Leaving Waverly by Sara Turnquist

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1860s – Old West

Disillusioned by the war and prejudice, can this southern belle trust in love? Claire Crawford is nothing she should be. Put off by the War between the States and her own experience with the slaves on her father’s plantation, she longs for something more. Under the control of her parents, there is not much room for anything but submission. Still, she dares to defy them and reach out to a sharecropper’s family on her father’s land. The war changed Henry Garrett. And he has plans of going beyond his father’s humble farm. He will do whatever it takes to make those dreams come true. Nothing will stand in his way. Until he meets her. Drawn to the southern belle he would rather despise, he is soon caught up in a situation not of his own making. How much is too much for the one he loves? Dare he sacrifice his dream?

As Time Goes By by Melody Carlson

astimegoesby As Time Goes By

1942 – California

In 1942 San Francisco, war has touched every part of the Mulligans’ lives. With their brother killed at Pearl Harbor, their father recovering from tuberculosis, and their eldest sister a nurse in the Army, those at home are left to keep on, wondering if it’s possible to thrive…or only to survive.

Pragmatic Margaret struggles with the gap between the dreams she’d always fostered of married life and the reality of having a husband an ocean away—combined with the concerns for the family store in uncertain times. Colleen has always been considered the superficial sister, but when a chance at her dream of Hollywood makes her second-guess her hopes and tragedy shakes her to her core, her family sees a side of her they never expected. Molly, always the hopeful one, dedicates herself fully to the war effort at home—but can all the optimism in the world guard her against harsh reality? Who can she talk to when troubles come?

Each of the Mulligan sisters must do her part to keep the family going—and each must find her own new place as the world shifts under their feet and time goes by.

The White Feather Murders by Rachel McMillan

whitefeathermurders White Feather Murders

1914 – Canada

Merinda Herringford and Jem Watts never could have imagined their crime-solving skills would set them up as emblems of female empowerment in a city preparing to enter World War I at the behest of Great Britain. Yet, despite their popularity, the lady detectives can’t avoid the unrest infiltrating every level of society.

A war measure adopted by Mayor Montague puts a target on Jem and her Italian husband, Ray DeLuca. Meanwhile, deep-rooted corruption in the police force causes their friend, Constable Jasper Forth, to wonder if his thirst for upholding the law would be best quenched elsewhere.

In spite of these distractions, Merinda, Ray, and Jasper join with other honorable and courageous city leaders in the Cartier Club, which exists to provide newly arrived residents of Toronto with a seamless integration in the city.

When a club member turns up dead, bearing a slanderous white feather, will Merinda, Jem, and those they hold dear be able to solve the high-stakes mystery before they’re all picked off, one by one?

The Patriot and the Loyalist by Angela Couch

patriotandtheloyalist The Patriot and the Loyalist

1780 – South Carolina

Completing his three years in the Continental Army, Daniel Reid still has no desire to return home—not after losing the woman he loves to a British Captain—so he volunteers to ride south through enemy lines and deliver a message to Colonel Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. With his temper needing a release and a dark haired beauty finding her way into his broken heart, Daniel decides to join the Swamp Fox’s efforts against the British. Little does he know the British still have the upper hand.

Lydia Reynolds has learned that love comes at a price, and she refuses to pay. Better to close her heart to everything and everyone. When her brother-in-law won’t grant her passage to England, where she hopes to hide from her pain, New Englander, Daniel Reid, becomes her only hope—if she can induce him to give her information about the notorious Swamp Fox and his troops. When the British grow impatient and Daniel evades her questions, Lydia must decide how far to take her charade. The poor man, already gutted by love, hasn’t grown as wise as she. Or so she supposes.

Until the truth is known, the muskets are loaded;and it is time to decide where true loyalties lie.

The One True Love of Alice-Ann by Eva Marie Everson

1trueloveofaliceann The One True Love of Alice-Ann

1941 – Georgia

Living in rural Georgia in 1941, sixteen-year-old Alice-Ann has her heart set on her brother’s friend Mack; despite their five-year age gap, Alice-Ann knows she can make Mack see her for the woman she’ll become. But when they receive news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Mack decides to enlist, Alice-Ann realizes she must declare her love before he leaves.

Though promising to write, Mack leaves without confirmation that her love is returned. But Alice-Ann is determined to wear the wedding dress her maiden aunt never had a chance to wear—having lost her fiancé in the Great War. As their correspondence continues over the next three years, Mack and Alice-Ann are drawn closer together. But then Mack’s letters cease altogether, leaving Alice-Ann to fear history repeating itself.

Dreading the war will leave her with a beautiful dress and no happily ever after, Alice-Ann fills her days with work and caring for her best friend’s war-torn brother, Carlton. As time passes and their friendship develops into something more, Alice-Ann wonders if she’ll ever be prepared to say good-bye to her one true love and embrace the future God has in store with a newfound love. Or will a sudden call from overseas change everything?

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A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer

asecretcourage A Secret Courage

1940 – England

American Emma Hanson came to England to study at Oxford, but joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force at the height of World War II. She is stationed at beautiful and historic Danesfield House west of London as part of the highly secretive Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.

Englishman Will Fleming is a handsome young artist who has been commissioned by the British government to record the changing landscape in paintings. His path intersects with Emma’s when his real mission—tracking Nazi spies—leads him to Danesfield House, the target of a sinister plot.

Emma and Will become friends, but neither can reveal the true nature of their assignment. Can their relationship grow amid such secrecy? And can Will save Danesfield House—and Emma and her coworkers—before it’s too late?

A Promise Born by Cara Putnam

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1943 – Ohio

In the midst of World War II, when the Navy WAVES give Evelyn Happ the chance to get out of Washington, DC, and contribute to the war effort, she can’t leave fast enough. The fact that she can use her college degree to contribute to the war effort makes the assignment even better. She arrives in Dayton, Ohio, to learn the engineers and military professionals don’t take her seriously at all. Why is it so hard to believe that she’s more than a pretty face?

Mark Miller believes the WAVES are an unneeded distraction—the top secret project he’s assigned to is critical to the war and he and his team must focus on cracking the enigma code. Nothing they try works until a beautiful ensign offers solutions that help the engineers succeed in their mission. He’s not sure what to think about her, but has to admit that she’s brilliant enough to see the problem from a fresh perspective. He’s never met anyone like her and wants to know more.

When the actions of a spy put both Mark and Evelyn under suspicion, their loyalties to the country and each other are tested. Will their blossoming relationship survive, or be another casualty of war?

With Love, Wherever You Are by Dandi Daley Mackall

withlovewhereveryouare With Love, Wherever You Are

1941 – Illinois/Missouri/Europe

Everyone knows that war romances never last . . .
After a whirlwind romance and wedding, Helen Eberhart Daley, an army nurse, and Lieutenant Frank Daley, M.D. are sent to the front lines of Europe with only letters to connect them for months at a time.

Surrounded by danger and desperately wounded patients, they soon find that only the war seems real—and their marriage more and more like a distant dream. If they make it through the war, will their marriage survive?

Based on the incredible true love story, With Love, Wherever You Are is an adult novel from beloved children’s author Dandi Daley Mackall.

When Tides Turn by Sarah Sundin

whentidesturn When Tides Turn

1942 – Massachusetts

When fun-loving glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont learns the Navy has established the WAVES program for women, she enlists, determined to throw off her frivolous ways and contribute to the war effort. No-nonsense and hoping to make admiral, Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills to fight German U-boats. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. For her part, Tess works hard to prove her worth in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit in Boston–both to her commanding officers and to the man with whom she is smitten. When Dan is assigned to a new escort carrier at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, he’s torn between his lifelong career goals and his desire to help Tess root out a possible spy on shore. The Germans put up quite a fight, but he wages a deeper battle within his heart. Could Tess be the one for him?

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With Each New Dawn by Gail Kittleson

With Each New Dawn

1943 – London/France

American RAF widow Kate Isaacs leaves war-torn London to parachute into southern France and aid the French Resistance. Her alliance with grieving Basque shepherd-turned-Resistance fighter Domingo Ibarra brings both sorrow and relief as she discovers her familial roots, along with second chances.

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Captive Dreams by Cara Putnam

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1944 – Nebraska

Anna Goodman’s mother is dead, her father has given up on life, and her brother is missing in action in World War II. Anna’s dreams for the future are held captive by the responsibilities the war and life have thrust upon her. She’s desperate to hold the farm together while working at a war factory in nearby Kearney. She can’t do it alone. She must interact daily with Specialist Sid Chance, the cocky know-it-all who oversees the German prisoners who work on her family farm—prisoners that are a constant reminder of her father’s harrowing experience in World War I.

As Sid gets to know the determined Anna, he must balance her mistrust against his desire to help farmers. With so many able-bodied men deployed around the world, the prisoners’ labor is essential to save local farms from ruin. He must also battle against prejudice from men like Anna’s father, who can’t stand their presence or the memories they force him to relive. Sid wants to protect Anna, if she’d only let him. Anna’s as skittish as a colt, but he’s determined to win her heart.

When the farm’s future is at risk, Anna must decide whether she can trust Sid with her heart…and her future.

Sandhill Dreams by Cara Putnam

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1943 – Nebraska

Lainie Gardner once dreamed of becoming a nurse. Of serving her country. Of doing something important in the war. But rheumatic fever changed all that, and instead of running home to her parents’ coddling, Lainie is determined to find a war job at Fort Robinson in Nebraska’s sandhills, where she meets a soldier with his own broken dreams.

Tom Hamilton has feared dogs since he was bitten as a child, but his assignment at Fort Robinson is training war dogs and their handlers. Surely the Army has another use for him, but he’s trapped in a job he can’t stand in an out-of-the-way outpost. Every day is a reminder of his cowardice. Who would want to build a future with a man like him? Getting to know Lainie is a welcome distraction from the work that causes so much turmoil.

Is it possible new dreams will bring Lainie and Tom more joy than they ever imagined? Or will their fears hold them apart?

The Baker’s Daughter by D.P. Cornelius

bakersdaughter The Baker’s Daughter – Braving Evil In WW II Berlin

1943 – Poland

While chaos reigns over WW II Berlin, seventeen-year-old Liddy returns to her family’s bakery only to be confronted by a new customer — Keppler, a Nazi officer. Marek, a young man with a secretive past, labors just a few paces away in the kitchen, but where do his loyalties lie? With the Nazis? With Liddy?

Liddy’s father, Klaus, secures a night job as a prison guard where anti-Nazi dissident, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, is being held. Klaus smuggles out the pastor’s letters, but tensions rise as Keppler establishes a tenuous relationship with Liddy’s young brother, Willy. Does the Nazi officer wish to recruit Willy, or is Keppler there to spy on Liddy’s family?

From air raids to the Hitler Youth, Liddy becomes enmeshed in a world of spies intent on betrayal. When Liddy makes a critical mistake that endangers a loved one, she faces a decision that puts her own faith on the line and her family’s safety in jeopardy.

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Maggie’s War by Terrie Todd

maggieswar Maggie’s War

1942 – Canada

In 1942, telegrams always bring life-altering and tragic news in a war-hardened world—and the one Maggie Marshall receives is no different. But running a restaurant with the help of only pregnant, unwed girls has taught her to be tough. Maggie’s no weeping widow, but Charlotte Penfield thinks she’s the most unfeeling woman on earth. Seventeen, exiled by her wealthy parents, and working in the restaurant, fanciful Charlotte runs away with romantic notions of a reunion with her baby’s father at his military camp.

It has been years since Maggie darkened the church door of her pastor and childhood friend, Reverend Reuben Fennel, and his heart breaks for the hardened woman Maggie’s become. When she seeks his help to find Charlotte, he’s happy to aid her in the chase—though it may cost him his job and reputation.

Over the miles from Winnipeg to Fort William, Reuben and Maggie’s journey rekindles their affection—and their dreams of what they still could be. But Maggie stubbornly clings to her independent ways until she’s dealt another devastating loss, one that forces her to recognize that heroes can be discovered in unlikely places and love may be far sweeter than she ever dared imagine.

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Scarlet Coat by Angela K. Couch

scarletcoat Scarlet Coat

1770s – New York

Surrounded by the musket fire of the American Revolution, Rachel Garnet prays for her family to be safe. When the British invade the Mohawk Valley and her father and brother don’t return from the battle, she goes in pursuit of them. She finds her brother alive but her father has been killed at the hand of the enemy. Amidst the death, how can she ignore a cry for help? Rachel reluctantly takes in a badly wounded British officer. But how long can her sense of Christian duty repress her hatred for his scarlet coat? Passages of Scripture and fleeting images of society are all Andrew Wyndham recalls after he awakens to the log walls of his gentle prison. Even his name eludes him. Rachel Garnet insists he is a captain in the British army. He mourns the loss of his memory, but how can he hope to remember war when his “enemy” is capturing his heart? Andrew’s injuries are severe, his memory slow to return, and the secret of his existence too perilous to ignore. As Rachel nurses him back to health, his hidden scarlet coat threatens to expose the deeds of her merciful heart, and Andrew is forced to face a harrowing decision—Stay hidden and risk losing the woman he loves or turn himself in and risk losing his life.

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Canteen Dreams by Cara Putnam

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1941 – Nebraska

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Nebraska schoolteacher Audrey Stone wants to support the war effort in any way she can. When her community starts a canteen at the train station, Audrey spends nearly every spare moment there, offering food and kindness to the soldiers passing through. She never expected to fall for a local boy…or face the challenges of budding love in the face of war.

Rancher Willard Johnson admires Audrey’s passionate nature, but when his brother is killed in action, he feels he must avenge by enlisting himself. His father insists he stay, but Willard knows he must go. Reality intrudes, and he never expected the jealousy he experiences when he sees those in uniform.

Can Willard’s budding relationship with Audrey weather the storms of war? Or will one of the other soldiers at the canteen steal her heart?

The Thorn Healer by Pepper Basham

The Thorn Healer

1918 – North Carolina

Jessica Ross’ scars run much deeper than the wounds of a world at war. Determined to escape the ghosts of her past and the German influence on her nightmares, she returns home to the sleepy Appalachian town of Hot Springs, NC, only to find the renowned Mountain Park Hotel has been converted into a ‘prison’ for displaced Germans and, much to Jessica’s dismay, her grandparents have befriended one of them.

August Reinhold has not only found kinship with Jessica’s grandparents, but as they share their granddaughter’s letters from the Front, he discovers a surprising bond drawing him toward the independent and beautiful woman. Displaced by a war and a painful history, he find Hot Springs and the intriguing, Jessica Ross, a tempting place to start over. Determined to scale the heights of her bitterness and show her the power of love, August faces more than just Jessica’s resistance, but a more devious design to harm the civilian sailors housed in Hot Springs.

Will August’s tender pursuit show Jessica the healing and hope she needs, or will bitterness force her into the hands of a ‘true’ enemy waiting to destroy much more than her heart?

Soar Like Eagles by Terri Wangard

soarlikeeagles Soar Like Eagles

1944 – England/France

Carol becomes a Red Cross doughnut girl, serving GIs and boosting their morale. Convinced wartime romances are doomed to disappointment, she attempts to avoid entanglements. She didn’t plan on Chet, the navigator who tempts her to throw caution to the wind.

Chet’s father and brothers always belittled him. As a squadron lead navigator, he longs to prove them wrong. He’s already been offered a terrific job with PanAm after the war. First he must survive his combat tour. Will he even have a future?

My Enemy, My Heart by Laurie Alice Eakes

myenemymyheart My Enemy, My Heart

1812 – At Sea (Caribbean)

The sea is Deirdre MacKenzie’s home, and the crew of her father’s Baltimore clipper is the only family she loves. She’s happier wearing breeches and climbing the rigging of the Maid of Alexandria than donning a dress and learning to curtsy. But when the War of 1812 erupts, the ship is captured by a British privateer, leaving her father, the captain, dead. Deirdre watches her crew herded into the hold, destined for the notorious Dartmoor prison in England. Though her fate as a noncombatant is uncertain, she knows she must find a way to free her crew.

Kieran Ashford has caused his family one too many scandals. On his way to exile in America, he is waylaid by the declaration of war and a chance to turn privateer and make his own fortune. But he regrets his actions as soon as the rich prize is secured. Now his best chance at redeeming himself in the eyes of his family is to offer Deirdre the protection of his name in marriage.

But love and loyalty clash as Kieran begins to win Deirdre’s heart despite her plot to betray him. Will Kieran’s plan mend the relationship with his family, and can this fated couple find true love despite the secret lies between them?

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The Lost Generation by Erica Marie Hogan

lostgeneration The Lost Generation

1914 – England, Canada, America, France

On August 5, 1914, the world changed forever. For John and Beth Young, the happiness they finally achieved was snatched out from under them. For Emma Cote, her husband Jared would do his duty, despite her feelings. For Christy Simmons, an uncertain future with the boy she loved. The lives of six people from across the British Empire to America were changed forever. When John, Jared, and Will find themselves thrust together in France and Emma and Christy decide to seek out their missing husbands, the lives of these three families intertwine in ways none of them could possibly have imagined. Working together in a field hospital, Emma and Christy learn to rely on and protect each other. Lost together in a strange forest and cut off from their unit, the three soldiers run and hide. But the further they go, the more they realize the chances of all of them surviving the war unscathed are nonexistent.

Aboard Providence by Keely Brooke Keith

Aboard Providence

Pre-civil War – At Sea

Jonah Ashton is determined to finish medical school before rumors of Southern rebellion erupt into all-out war. Despite accusations of wrongdoing that threatens his career, when he learns his father plans to join a group of families who are sailing away from America to form a new settlement, he travels to Virginia to say goodbye. However, an accident forces Jonah to accompany them to serve as the ship’s physician. He boards the Providence with the plan to escort his family to their new settlement in South America and then return to Pennsylvania to clear his name. What he doesn’t count on is getting lost at sea and Marian Foster. When the settlers finally reach land, Jonah makes a startling discovery that changes everything, but will it change his heart?

Child of the River by Irma Joubert

childoftheriver Child of the River

1938 – South Africa

Persomi is young, white, and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm in the South African Bushveld. Persomi’s world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her, escaping the brutality and squalor of her family home through the newspapers and books passed down to her from the main house and through her walks in the nearby mountains.

Persomi’s close relationship with her older brother Gerbrand and her fragile friendship with Boelie Fourie—heir to the Fourie farm and fortune—are her lifeline and her only connection to the outside world. When Gerbrand leaves the farm to fight on the side of the Anglos in WWII and Boelie joins an underground network of Boer nationalists, Persomi’s isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams become open to her—dreams of an education, a profession, a native country that values justice and equality, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing world around her—the tragedies of war and the devastating racial strife of her homeland—she finally discovers who she truly is, where she belongs, and why her life—and every life—matters.

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I’ll Be Seeing You by Melody Carlson

itllbeseeingyou I’ll Be Seeing You

1941 – California

December 7, 1941, San Francisco is on high alert following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Mulligan family is grappling with the news that Peter, beloved son and brother, is among the missing.

Each of the Mulligan sisters Bridget, Margaret, Colleen and Molly strives to find her place in the rapidly changing world in these early days of World War II. With their father ailing, Margaret takes over management of the family’s grocery store trying to keep hoarders at bay while daydreaming of a June wedding. Meanwhile Bridget focuses on her board exams and hopes to be accepted as an Army nurse. Beautiful Colleen, the “family flibbertigibbet” just wants to have fun despite the dire news of the war. But it’s the “baby” fifteen-year-old Molly who seems to be the glue that holds the family together.

With siblings, friends, and beaus being shipped out weekly, the remaining Mulligans quickly realize that this war will be fought on two fronts at home and overseas.

Each of the strong, hopeful Mulligan sisters will do their part if they hope to see victory and the end of the war.

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Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

1846-1896 – The Netherlands and Michigan

Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from The Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she is asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions that have remained buried all these years, including the story of her one true love.

A few miles away at the Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of her broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after the violent storm her steamship encounters on her journey across the lake, stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her.

Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.

Saratoga Letters by Elaine Marie Cooper

saratogaletters Saratoga Letters

1777/present – New York

It is 1777. The Battle of Saratoga, a turning point of the Revolutionary War, encourages the American Continental Army with their first great victory. But there seemed little to celebrate for one patriotic woman forced to nurse wounded British soldiers right in their war camp. Thrust into deception by a cruel Loyalist uncle, Abigail is forced to lie in order to survive, all the while dealing with fears that challenge her faith. Danger stalks her everywhere, yet her salvation springs from an unexpected source.

Then …

Two hundred years later, on the anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga, thousands arrive from Europe and the United States to celebrate the event — including descendants from the war. One young American, Abby, meets the offspring of a British soldier. When her life is threatened, Abby turns to the only person she knows at the event — her British ally. Can she trust him with her life? Or will he betray her in the same way loyalist spies betrayed her ancestors? Perhaps letters from long ago will reveal the truth.

While I Count the Stars by Valerie Banfield

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1940 – Costa Rica/Texas

SAVANNAH HAMILTON isn’t looking for love—she’s watched that commodity vanish too many times to care—but she’s frantic for a mate. As the deadline approaches, things look hopeless. Then he shows up.

MICAH KELLER isn’t too keen to learn that the predicament described by the prospective bride held more illusion than fact. Nothing at Misión de Cacao resembles his expectations—especially her.

While two imperfect people make a go of an unlikely pairing, war erupts. With the speed and intensity of an epidemic, fear and distrust ignite the globe. Costa Rica is not immune, and when it’s time for countries to name their allies, Micah and Savannah find themselves in the path of an unimaginable firestorm. As distance and time render their tenuous relationship unrecognizable, is the promise to honor their hasty commitment far too costly, or will love abide all things?

Labeling Lincoln by Stephenia H. Mcgee

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1865 – Washington DC

Can two weary hearts discover the hope of a new beginning?

In this final installment of The Liberator Series, the suspected conspirators are called to trial and Annabelle and Matthew must face accusations amid misrepresented loyalties.

Beloved, Cherished, Restored…

When Annabelle was unable to stop the nation’s first presidential assassination, her fears of failure were only magnified. Imprisoned and berated, Annabelle wants nothing more than to finally return to Rosswood Plantation. But when a surprise visitor comes to call, his clash with Matthew could destroy her hopes for the future.

Reconciled, Respected, Redeemed…

Forced to choose between his allegiances and the safety of the people he loves, Matthew finds himself swept into the most massive manhunt in history. Booth has disappeared, and everything Matthew holds dear rests on bringing the assassin into custody. He’d promised Annabelle his heart, but the demons haunting the shadows of his mind will no longer be held at bay.

In the end, will they discover the power of redemptive love, or will their hearts forever be lost among the casualties of war?

Fifth Column by Mike Hollow

fifthcolumn Fifth Column

1940s – England

Detective Inspector Jago investigates, uncovering deception and betrayal

At first glance, the young woman found in the early hours of the morning where bombs have landed is just another casualty of the previous night’s air raid. But when the post-mortem shows signs of strangulation, Detective Inspector Jago is called on to investigate.

The dead woman is smartly dressed but carries no identification. However, a local engineering company reports a staff member has failed to appear at work that morning and the body is quickly identified as that of Miss Mary Watkins.

DI Jago’s initial interviews yield little fruit; no one can think of a reason why Mary would be murdered. But as the investigation continues DI Jago begins to uncover a trail of deception and betrayal.

Courageous by Dina Sleiman

1219 – Roman Empire

Inspired by the vision of the Young Lady Sapphira, Rosalind of Ipsworth joins a group of men, women, and children as a defender of the cross, seeking to free captives from prisons near Tripoli. She gladly gives herself to the cause, as she’s haunted by a tragic mistake and no longer deserves such joys as marriage and family might bring.

Sir Randel Penigree was reared to serve in the church, but dreams of protecting the innocent as a knight. Joining a crusade to escape humiliation at home, he finds himself drawn to Rosalind as they partner to train and protect a group of young adolescents. When they face political machinations, danger, and an unknown enemy bent on their destruction, they are forced to reconsider their priorities and the very nature of the God they serve.

Like a River from Its Course by Kelli Stuart

likeariverfromitscourse

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1941 – Ukraine

An epic novel exposing the ugliness of war and the beauty of hope

The city of Kiev was bombed in Hitler’s blitzkrieg across the Soviet Union, but the constant siege was only the beginning for her citizens. In this sweeping historical saga, Kelli Stuart takes the reader on a captivating journey into the little—known history of Ukraine’s tragedies through the eyes of four compelling characters who experience the same story from different perspectives.

Maria Ivanovna is only fourteen when the bombing begins and not much older when she is forced into work at a German labor camp. She must fight to survive and to make her way back to her beloved Ukraine.

Ivan Kyrilovich is falsely mistaken for a Jew and lined up with 34,000 other men, women, and children who are to be shot at the edge of Babi Yar, the “killing ditch.” He survives, but not without devastating consequences.

Luda is sixteen when German soldiers rape her. Now pregnant with the child of the enemy, she is abandoned by her father, alone, and in pain. She must learn to trust family and friends again and find her own strength in order to discover the redemption that awaits.

Frederick Hermann is sure in his knowledge that the Führer’s plans for domination are right and just. He is driven to succeed by a desire to please a demanding father and by his own blind faith in the ideals of Nazism. Based on true stories gathered from fifteen years of research and interviews with Ukrainian World War II survivors, Like a River from Its Course is a story of love, war, heartache, forgiveness, and redemption.

Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray by Dorothy Love

mrsleemrsgray Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray

1820s-1870s – Virginia

A general’s wife and a slave girl forge a friendship that transcends race, culture, and the crucible of Civil War.

Mary Anna Custis Lee is a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, wife of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and heiress to Virginia’s storied Arlington house and General Washington’s personal belongings.

Born in bondage at Arlington, Selina Norris Gray learns to read and write in the schoolroom Mary and her mother keep for the slave children and eventually becomes Mary’s housekeeper and confidante. As Mary’s health declines, Selina becomes her personal maid, strengthening a bond that lasts until death parts them.

Forced to flee Arlington at the start of the Civil War, Mary entrusts the keys to her beloved home to no one but Selina. When Union troops begin looting the house, it is Selina who confronts their commander and saves many of its historic treasures.

In a story spanning crude slave quarters, sunny schoolrooms, stately wedding parlors, and cramped birthing rooms, novelist Dorothy Love amplifies the astonishing true-life account of an extraordinary alliance and casts fresh light on the tumultuous years leading up to and through the wrenching battle for a nation’s soul.

A classic American tale, Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray is the first novel to chronicle this beautiful fifty-year friendship forged at the crossroads of America’s journey from enslavement to emancipation.

A Stranger on My Land by Sandra Merville Hart

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1863 – Tennessee

Carrie and her little brother, Jay, find a wounded soldier on their land after a battle which later became known as “The Battle Above the Clouds.” Adam, a Union soldier, has been shot twice in the arm. Though Carrie is reluctant to take Adam to their cave where her family hides their livestock from both armies, she cannot turn her back on him.

But her Aunt Lavinia, bitter over what Yankees have done to their land, urges Carrie to allow Adam to die. Carrie refuses, but cannot remove the bullets. Adam’s friendship with Jay softens her heart toward him. It’s not long until his gratitude and teasing manner spark a friendship between the young couple. Even though Carrie’s father fights for the Confederacy in far-off Virginia, her feelings for the handsome young soldier begin to blossom into love.

When Adam’s condition worsens, Carrie knows a Union surgeon is needed to save his life. But how can she save him and keep her family safe from Yankee forces?

Dawn of Liberty by Amber Schamel

Dawn of Liberty

1776 – Pennsylvania

Liberty comes with a price. Can a fledgling nation bear the cost?
British forces advance upon a struggling colonial army. The time of decision has come. Declare independence, or give up the fight. The weight of a nation rests on Samuel Adams’ shoulders as he joins the delegates of the Second Continental Congress. Can he raise the cause of Liberty above the fear of the King’s wrath in the hearts of his countrymen?
Three riveting short stories follow Samuel Adams as he struggles through the events surrounding the Declaration of Independence and evokes the Dawn of Liberty.

Chasing The Butterfly by Jayme Mansfield

chasingbutterfly Goodreads ~ Purchase

1931 – France

From a vineyard in the south of France to the sophisticated city of Paris, Ella Moreau searches for the hope and love she lost as a young girl when her mother abandoned the family. Through a series of secret paintings, her art becomes the substitute for lost love—the metaphor of her life. But when her paintings are discovered, the intentions of those she loves are revealed.

No Neutral Ground by Terri Wangard

noneutralground No Neutral Ground

1943 – Sweden

Germany rejected him. America took him in. Now he’s back, at war with his homeland and his father, who turned his back.

After his father divorces his mother because of her Jewish ancestry, Rafe and the rest of his family leave Germany. As a B-17 navigator, he returns to Europe. On the ocean voyage, he meets Jennie, an artist journeying to Sweden to work with the OSS.

Sweden may be neutral, but its full of intrigue. When Rafe’s damaged bomber lands in Sweden, he teams with Jennie in the effort to gain intelligence and frustrate the Germans.

Along the way, he overcomes his anger and forgives his father’s betrayal.

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