Category: Book Review

Book Review: A Spring at The Greenbrier by Sandra Merville Hart

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment
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It’s 1914 at White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. That unique setting is enough to pique my interest. It’s not a book about war, which for me is a refreshing thing. I’ve enjoyed a lot of WWII novels and a few WWI novels but I’m always ready for something different.

Marilla works at the Greenbrier Resort, helping guests enjoy the benefits of the hot springs baths. She’s there for two reasons. Her widowed mother and her disabled little sister depend on her income. And her sister needs the benefit of the baths.

This is a romance so of course there is a love interest. They both have little sisters who need healing. Their mothers become friends. But (there’s always a but) Marilla and Wes are from two different classes.The time period marked a crosswords between the old ways and the modern ways. Class distinctions were still followed but the younger generation at this point was beginning to move away from them. Wes isn’t as concerned, although the question of “is she after my money” lingered at the back of his mind. Marilla, however, believes these distinctions still exist and she doesn’t want to lose her job where employees are not allowed to mingle with resort guests. There is a boundary that the characters debate throughout the book.

I don’t normally read romances. Just not my cup of tea. But Sandra Merville Hart does a wonderful job with her historical details (my favorite part) so it is certainly worth the read.

If historical romances are your cup of tea, check hers out!

Review by Cindy Thomson, www.cindyswriting.com

Book Review: These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

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Release date: July 15, 2025

Bethany House Publishers

I enjoyed this story of German immigrant Hedda who comes to America (North Carolina) many years later looking for her fiancé, whom neither she nor his mother have heard from.. She is a talented pianist and soon finds a place at a newly opened collage with new friends and old ones who came to teach at the collage.. There are many twists in the story I won’t spoil.

I liked that the story takes place in a time period not often explored in historical fiction in connection with Germany,—the time between the wars. I also liked that while not really a mystery, readers are led through the tale in unexpected ways. The romance in the book develops slowly (something else I like because it’s so much more realistic that way).It can be difficult to convey hope in a story during a tragic time in history, but this novel does so well.

Can we talk about that cover? So beautiful! It conveys the theme of the novel so well: historical, longing, beauty.

Historical fiction fans will enjoy this novel.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson. I received a complimentary audiobook of the novel from NetGalley and the publisher. This review is my honest opinion.

Book Review: Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

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Berkley, June 17, 2025

This story is a mesmerizing creation of Dorothy’s Auntie Em before Dorothy came to live with her in Kansas and then their life right after. Emily immigrated with her parents from Ireland and her two sisters. She was very close to Annie, Dorothy’s mother, until Emily learns Annie’s secret. Emily feels displaced until she marries Henry and goes from city life in Chicago to being a homesteader. Things are wonderful until the dust bowl. This reimagining of the story of Dorothy from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is creative, engaging, and taught me a lot about the time period.

Gaynor blends in what we know about Dorothy and makes it make sense in the context of the setting. There was a great drought in the Great Plains and a rainmaker comes with dynamite and pyrotechnics, reminding us of course of the Wizard of Oz, for example. I also enjoyed the theme of the story which is no surprise: home is about being with the people you love.

Hazel Gaynor is a wonderful writer of historical fiction. If you haven’t had a chance to check out her books, this one would be a great start. I really enjoyed it.

I was given an advance review copy from Net Galley and all opinions are my own.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson, www.cindyswriting.com

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor Book Review

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This book was first published 10 years ago, and I missed it. When the audiobook came up for sale recently on Chirp, I grabbed it. As the subtitle says, it’s a novel of London’s flower sellers. Two poor orphan sisters who sell flowers on the streets are separated due to the dangers 19th century children faced being homeless.. They grow up in very different circumstances. It’s a story that is both heart breaking and heart warming.

Tilly, who also grew up enduring family tragedy, goes to work as a type of house mother for girls who work making fabric flowers. She finds letters in her room written by one of the orphan sisters who had lived there and never gave up hope of finding her sister. The way these stories come together was not what I expected but satisfying all the same. Hazel Gaynor is a wonderful storyteller. I have loved all the books written by her that I’ve read. I think you’ll like this one too if you haven’t read it yet.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson, www.cindyswriting.com

Book Review: The Lost Letters of Aisling by Cynthia Ellingsen

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Lake Union Publishing (April 1, 2024)

Rainey’s grandmother Evie fled Ireland many years ago. Neither Rainey nor her mother know why or anything about her life there. But while recovering from an illness she asks her granddaughter to take her back to the home she grew up in, which is now a bed and breakfast. She wants to retrieve some letters and read them again.

I love Irish stories so I was eager to read this one.

I never understood why Evie did not want her daughter, Rainey’s mother to go with them to Ireland. I thought it would be explained but it really wasn’t. That aside, I really enjoyed this book and the wonderful descriptions. The budding romance was understated, which I personally like. The ending was sweet but I felt like it didn’t tie up all the loose ends especially that budding romance I mentioned. They decided they would figure it out (living in different countries.). Even so, I appreciate that it was slow developing rather than a commitment or a physical affair after only meeting a week ago.

Well-written, easy to read, and a glimpse into the history of the times, which I always like. I gave it four stars.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson

https://www.cindyswriting.com

Book Review: A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (March 18, 2025)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593332865

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593332863

Susan Meissner’s new book explores secrets, friendship bonds, and the consequences of our choices all while whisking readers off to the 1950s in Southern California. It was a time when women were still limited in their choices to make a living, a time when the fear of communism was spreading, and a time when people still knew their neighbors no matter how odd or reclusive they may have been.

We meet Melanie Cole, a budding movie star who is blacklisted due to suspected communist ties, her housekeeper Eva who fled war-torn Europe, and next door neighbor June who lives with her reclusive screenwriter brother-in-law. They are all afraid of something and need each other to escape their circumstances.

This book was at the same time classic Susan Meissner (a story of hope, a story where I learned something from history, a story where her use of descriptive language paints an unforgettable story in my mind) and also a departure for this novelist. I believe this is the first of her books to use swearing, so heads up if that bothers you. The story unfolded differently too. The first half unfolded very slowly for me. There was lots of backstory and not much happening. But then in the second half things are set in motion and the emotions felt real and heart wrenching. What would you change in your past and how would that have changed the present if at all? That’s a question the three friends contemplate and in the end come up with answers. I’m glad I read this even though it isn’t my favorite Meissner novel.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson. I received a free advanced copy from the publisher and my review is solely my own.

Book Review: Finding Juniper by Cindy Thomson

~ Kathleen Rouser ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a long time since a book brought me to tears, evoking a depth of emotion I rarely experience from reading a novel. Finding Juniper contains that kind of depth.

With the burden of PTSD from WWI and his friend’s rosary in his pocket, Patrick Doyle is summoned to once again confront his past by a cryptic letter that appears to have been written by a child—the long-lost child he’d never known and assumed dead—his daughter, Juniper. 

Caught between two sides of a civil war, Patrick had emigrated to the United States and after much trial, began to rebuild his world with a new family. Shortly after experiencing the loss of his wife, his American daughter, Mardell, beseeches him to travel to his homeland with her and find out what happened to her half-sister, Juniper. Patrick reluctantly embarks on a journey across the pond which stirs up both good and bad memories. 

Author Thomson skillfully weaves Patrick’s reminiscences from the war and life in Ireland alongside Juniper’s journey from life in institutions to that of an independent young woman with questions about the father she never knew and the mother she believes is dead. Following a timeline from 1920 to post WWII, readers will hope and cheer for the characters’ paths to finally meet and may even shed a tear along the way. 

With a balance of Irish melancholy and humor, the author paints a lovely picture of the countryside in Northern Ireland. She shows the culture of superstitious villagers and the kindness of a few towards Juniper and other outsiders through the struggles of post WWII deprivation. 

Finding Juniper is a story of healing family rifts and truth overcoming lies. The truth of the past is brought to light for both Patrick and Juniper in unexpected ways, but just as in real life, the journey there is complicated. 

Fans of historical Christian fiction with a non-preachy message of hope and forgiveness will love this story. Five stars! Highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review posted by Kathleen Rouser. Find her at: kathleenrouser.com

Book Review: Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

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December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue the tradition of her late father’s Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must evolve with the times, and the queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change. 

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I enjoyed this novel about two lovers, Jack and Olive, who are separated by circumstances, including Jack’s marriage to another woman, Andrea, he loved. As the story opens Andrea is killed in a car accident. She leaves behind the dream she and Jack had for Jack to open his own restaurant. Olive harbors a secret, and these two things keep them apart for most of the book. It’s the classic romance formula.

What made this book intriguing for me was the glimpse into the royal family and the Queen’s preparations for her annual Christmas address. (However, readers should understand, despite the title and setting, the book is about Jack and Olive who both have jobs that take them into the lives of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip). Another intriguing aspect for he was Jack’s character. He enjoys cooking the recipes that his grandfather, from New Orleans, taught him. The way he puts his dishes together and the way he introduces them to the British people was interesting. I also loved how he wooed Olive by figuring out what she liked and setting up one-on-one cooking lessons.

The only drawback for me was the prolonged period of time (years!) that it took for Jack and Olive to reunite as a couple. I found it a little annoying. I also didn’t like that we weren’t able to witness a proposal or a wedding. After all that back and forth, this part deserved a place in the story, I thought. Even so, this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this story by two very talented authors. I’ve read several of their books and I love how they take ordinary people and show readers how they endured and prospered during the times they lived in.

This is a fun Christmasy read with a gorgeous cover that I think readers will enjoy.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I received a free review copy from the publisher via NetGalley and was not required to leave a review. These are my own opinions.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson, www.cindyswriting.com

Book Review: Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

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This touching story begins in 1938 with a teenage girl named Rosie in California who becomes an orphan. Taken in my her parents’ employer, she falls victim to the man of the house and gets pregnant. But Rosie has a secret that made her different, and her secret is betrayed so that she is not sent to a home for unwed mothers but to a mental institution. This thread is intriguing by itself but Meissner links Rosie with a woman, Helen, who works in Europe as a nanny as the Nazis are targeting disabled children. Her heartbreaking experience leads her to do what she can to save as many children as possible. Many years after the war Helen goest back to California and learns that her brother was the father of Rosie’s baby, the only relative Helen has left. Helen had met Rosie when the girl was younger and corresponded with her a few times, But where is Rosie now and what became of her baby?

There are so many lessons we can learn from this story, inspired by the eugenics movement that existed in some places in the US until the 1970s, according to the author’s note, which is not to be missed.

I’m a fan of all of Meissner’s books, but my goodness, this one is exquisite. Highly recommend!

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson, http://www.cindyswriting.com

Book Review: Maria by Michelle Moran

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Maria von Trapp, a novel? Yes, please! Add to that it’s written by a highly skilled novelist and this is a must-read this summer.

I was excited to receive an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher. This is my unbiased opinion.

I admit, I knew very little about the real people in this story before reading Maria. Now I feel like I have the bigger picture. I love when a novel teaches me something. (You’ve heard me say that before if you’ve read my other reviews, but it’s still true!) What I did know, or thought I knew, came totally from the movie-or was it from watching high school musicals over the years? I’m not sure.

The story takes us to the real Maria, and her discontent with the play that has gone into rehearsals. The author created a character that is assistant to Oscar Hammerstein. The assistant, Fran meets with Maria and hears her concerns while knowing there isn’t much that can be changed at this point. I appreciated knowing about Maria’s pious nature, her sternness, her disapproval with how the family is portrayed (her husband as the strict disciplinarian that in fact Maria was, the oldest child as a girl when he was actually boy … and more) While we know deep down that stories inspired by someone’s life are not usually 100% factual, it’s still good to know what was real and what was Hollywood, or in this time setting, Broadway.

I love how we get to go back in time with Maria and experience her struggle to leave the nuns. Her backstory makes the elder Maria much more relatable. How her decision to marry The Captain came about. How he felt about her. How the children felt about her. The actual songs they sang together. If you knew someone about the von Trapps, this might not surprise you. It did me. The Sound of Music is so fun and entertaining that it’s easy to forget the story is loosely based on real people, so I for one appreciated learning all the backstory.

An important character both in this novel and in real life was Hammerstein. I enjoyed getting to know him and his genius. The last song written was an important factor in resolving Maria’s issues with the play and perhaps, as Moran has suggested, with her children.. You’ll have to read the book to find out which one. I mean, what fantastic musical scores were created!

The only down note, in my opinion, was the unexplored, brief relationship between the two fictional characters, Fran and Peter. I would have liked to have seen more of. a parallel drawn between Fran in the later timeline and Maria in the 1930s I thought that was going to happen seeing as Fran was in an unhappy relationship with a man named Jack and Maria’s early life was also unhappy. But there might not have been enough similarities for that. The ending seemed to be missing something. Maybe it was that. However, this novel was fun to read, educational, and entertaining. If you love The Sound of Music you must read this!

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson