Historical Fiction With a Dash of Christmas, Cowboys, and a Trip to Egypt
Weekly Roundup by Latisha Sexton
I am so excited to share with you another week of amazing reads! I’m serious when I say that this week’s books were all AMAZING! I know last week saw a mixture of genres, but this week is all about the historical fiction. Three of the books were by the same author. She’s become a favorite of mine, but more about that later.
My daily schedule and routine have recently changed and I wasn’t able to read as much as I would have liked, but with all things considered, I think I read a decent amount. This coming holiday week should be much more relaxed so I’m hoping to add an extra book or two next week. Maybe some more Christmas reads?
Okay, on to the books!
P.S. You will find a few affiliate links in this blog.
A Modest Independence by MiMi Matthews
The first book I read this week was A Modest Independence, a historical fiction by MiMi Matthews. I first discovered MiMi through a recommendation (honestly, not sure where I read the recommendation, but I’m so glad that I did!). I have read four of her books so far and each one is written so well and draws me into the story within the first few lines.
This book is Book 2 of the Parish Orphan series. Although this one can be read as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend reading them in order as each one plays off of the previous. There is a lot of setup from the first one that makes this story feel even more fleshed out.
In A Modest Independence, Jenny Holloway has just received a small fortune that will finally grant her the independence she’s always craved. And she knows exactly what she wants to do with that independence.
She visits her solicitor, Tom Finchley, to request he release her the necessary funds for her to travel to Egypt and then India. Her plan is two-fold. First, have an epic adventure experiencing new sights, and second, try to find her best friend’s missing brother, who also happens to be the Earl of Castleton.
Tom admires Jenny and her fierce independence, but he can’t bring himself to let her travel that far without protection.
What ensues is an incredible journey of finding yourself and realizing that the things we used to want, may not be what we always want.
Seriously, guys, you have to read this series! I loved so much about these characters. They both had flaws, insecurities, and weren’t always the best at communicating what they wanted. But, they were raw and real.
For those who follow me, you know that I typically read Christian fiction or clean fiction. I’m not entirely sure what to classify this author’s books under. The closest I can get is a movie rating of PG. There are no bedroom scenes or vulgar/explicit language. However, these books do use some mild cursing which keeps me from claiming it as a “clean read”.
**You can find the first book, The Matrimonial Advertisement, HERE.
A Convenient Fiction by MiMi Matthews
A Convenient Fiction is book 3 in the Parisha Orphans series. I loved it just as much as the first two books. One thing that stuck out to me with this book is that there seemed to be more side characters in the story. I love a good side character and MiMi did not disappoint!
Again, this book features another strong, independent lead woman, Laura Hayes. Laura’s father passed away three years ago, leaving Laura grappling to hold her family and their failing perfume business together. With her crippled brother and aunt to take care of, Laura is feeling the pressure. What she needs is a husband before her next birthday in order to get her family’s estate and business out of the clutches of their dastardly solicitor.
Alex Archer is not a good man. He’s lived most of his life on his own, fending for himself. Everything he has, he’s gotten by sheer grit and will. And a knack for gambling. But, he’s tired of living that life and is ready to have the one thing he’s never been able to have. Land.
Alex comes to Surrey to seek a country-bred heiress in hopes of finally achieving his dream of being a landowner. But, the beautiful Laura Hayes seems to be chipping away at his hardened heart.
When rumors begin and a scandal occurs, will Alex step into the hero role?
Oh, Alex and Laura are wonderful together. Both are strong characters of deep emotions. *Sigh*. Okay, obviously you can tell that this is another must-read from me!
**There is a fourth book that I will be reading in the next couple of weeks. I have a feeling that it may be my favorite one yet, but we shall see.
A Cowboy for Keeps by Jody Hedlund
Alright all you cowboy lovers! This western historical fiction is right up your alley. Set in the middle of the Civil War, but far away in Colorado, A Cowboy for Keeps is the first book in Jody Hedlund’s new series, Colorado Cowboys.
The story follows, Greta Nilsson, as she travels from Pennsylvania to Colorado as a mail order bride. Her sole purpose in making this long and hard journey by stagecoach is to save her dying sister, eight-year-old, Astrid. Astrid has been sick with consumption, the same illness that claimed Greta’s stepmother and baby brother. Greta is determined not to let the same thing happen to her lively baby sister. When she hears about the healing properties of the clean, mountain air in Colorado, she accepts a proposal from a man she’s never met to become his wife. But, fate has other plans. When she arrives, she finds that her betrothed has died. Left with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Greta prays for a miracle. What she didn’t count on was Wyatt McQuaid.
Wyatt McQuaid is a rancher facing hard times. He has plans for a bright future but doesn’t have the funds to see his dreams accomplished. He needs an investor. When he mentions his plans to the mayor, he agrees to invest in Wyatt’s ranch on one condition…that he marry the young lady who just arrived off the stagecoach.
Will Wyatt agree to the bargain? Will all of Greta’s plans help save her sister?
I loved this book so much! Jody is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. She knows how to draw you in and weave an emotional story full of hope, love, and faith. One of my favorite parts of this book was actually the younger sister, Astrid. So many times I see authors write children as perfect, sweet, and innocent. Astrid has flaws. Astrid disobeys. Astrid is also sweet and sometimes innocent.
As a mom of three young kids, this is refreshing to see! It can be very discouraging when you’ve had a rough day with the kids, to pick up a book and see a fictional child being perfect throughout the entire book. But, that isn’t real life!
I won the second book in this series and will be reading it soon and leaving a review. I would give this a four out of five stars. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
A Holiday by Gaslight by MiMi Matthews
This week’s last book brings us a little Christmas cheer…and maybe some mistletoe? A Holiday by Gaslight is a Victorian Christmas novella by MiMi Matthews (I told you she was becoming a favorite!)
I am not usually a fan of novellas unless they are part of a series. I feel like a lot of novellas are just way too short and lack strong characters and little-to-no character development. Not so with MiMi! As if there was ever any doubt!
This novella builds strong leading characters and just as strong side characters. There is exceptional character growth and the way the story was set up and then paced made it feel fully fleshed out.
Sophie Appersett will do just about anything in order to ensure her family’s survival, including marrying outside of her class. When wealthy London merchant, Edward (Ned) Sharpe, asks permission to court her, she grants it. However, after two months of little romance, almost no emotion, and stony silence from Mr. Sharpe, Sophie is ready to call it off.
Ned was drawn to Sophie from the moment he laid eyes on her. He has risen well above his humble beginnings and knows how to interact with those above his class in most cases, except when it comes to courting someone like Sophie. In an attempt to do everything right, Ned heeds the advice of The Gentlemen’s Book of Etiquette. But, instead of helping him win Sophie’s heart, he’s actually pushing her away.
When her parents become outraged over her severing ties with Ned, Sophie decides to give him one last chance. She invites him and his parents to their Christmas party at Appersett House in hopes they can find some common ground. After all, Christmas is the time for miracles…and a little mistletoe.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet Christmas story and give it four out of five stars!
On to the Next Adventure...
What a wonderful reading adventure this week has been! I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction books lately. I believe I am going to dip my toes back into some contemperary romance books. Do you have any suggestions for what I should read next? Leave them in the comments below!
And be sure to check out last weeks blog HERE to see what books I read the week before!
