Hope Between the Pages

 Title: Hope Between the Pages

Author: Pepper Basham

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication date: April 1, 2021

Synopsis:

Uncover the Story Behind a One-Hundred-Year-Old Love Letter

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.

My Review:

Literary genius. Highly romantic. Engaging. Heart-wrenching. Sweet.

This is only the second book that I have read by Pepper Basham and it is a completely different genre from the first one I have read, but it makes me want to grab a copy of all her books, lock myself away, and not come out until I have finished reading them all.

This book is incredible. I was drawn into the story from the first line, "Any story that begins with a library is bound to be an excellent tale," and captivated until the last line (not sharing, no spoilers, read it to find out!). There is so much depth to this story. It is a dual time slip, with Sadie's story beginning in 1915, and Clara's story is present day.

Sadie is a book maid at the Biltmore House and works for the Vanderbilts. She took over this position when her mother passed away. Sadie loves books and loves her job. She has no intention to ever leave her job or fall in love. She meets Oliver, a man above her station, who lives an ocean away. Is there any hope that these two bookish fans will find their happily ever after?

Clara helps care for her mother and works at their family bookshop, Blackwell's. But her vengeful uncle threatens everything they have known and loved. This sends Clara across the ocean in search of answers and truth. She meets Max as she searches through the Camden house for answers. Another man, another ocean, another couple with a love of books. What in the world? Will the distance be insurmountable or will love conquer all?!

There are many quotable lines in this novel and references to other books and shows. One quote I particularly loved was, "Books breathed to me." I also loved the reference to Anne of Green Gables and Gilbert!

Hope Between the Pages has a bit of everything and I loved every part of it. It is extremely well written, engaging, with likable characters. It has bookish characters, a bit of mystery, an understated tender romance, picturesque scenes, several twists and turns, and an undeniable element of faith. I simply cannot say enough good things about this book. It is definitely one of my new all-time favorites!

This was indeed an "excellent tale." I loved everything about it. I read this in eBook format but I want to own a copy of this book. I am not one to highlight in fiction, or reread books, but I want to read this one again (even though I just finished it!) and highlight all those amazing quotes ("God allows us the gift of memories to tide us over to eternity.")! I would recommend this literary excellence to anyone who loves books!!! It is not to be missed. I would also recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction and deeply poignant romance novels. 

Thank you to Net Galley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review but am more than happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

The Duke Meets His Match (book review)

I am not a huge Historical fiction fan, but I am finding more and more that are so well-written I am starting to enjoy the genre. Today I finished reading The Duke Meets His Match, by Karen Tuft. This book comes out December 1st, but it is available for Pre-order now.

From the back cover: At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season—if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall.

George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slipup: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love.

My Review: I thought the cover was creative and the title definitely matched the story. This book is really well-written, flows smoothly and comes to a nice conclusion...although I do wonder if we will see more stories about members of Susan's family. Susan is a smart, funny, creative individual, with a mind of her own. When her and the Duke first meet, they clash because they are both so outspoken; and it is not a very common trait for women of that time period. The Duke comes across as arrogant, smug and one who thinks highly of himself. As the story progresses it does become a story of opposites attract. That spark that had them clashing is the same spark that makes them good for each other. They both evolve over the course of the story and we see a completely different side of the Duke by the end of the story. There is a bit of suspense and humor in this romantic historical fiction story, making it a very engaging read. The only character I couldn't stand was Prince Regent, or Prinny as he was also known. He was smug, annoying, rude, demanding, and had had an obnoxious habit of saying "we" when talking about himself! Unfortunately, he does not improve as the story goes along! I would recommend this book across multiple genres, as it truly has something for everyone.