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Book Review | Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

From the publisher: Years ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel. Be careful what you wish for. . . you might just get it.

This lovely little novel will appeal to any reader who wanted to escape into a children’s book. If you wanted to attend Hogwarts, or visit Narnia, or live in a boxcar, or travel space and time with Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, you might want to check out The Wishing Game.

At its heart, this book is the story of a foster kid and the teacher’s aide who wants to adopt him. Christopher found his parents dead of an overdose; Lucy doesn’t even qualify to foster him, much less adopt him. As an unhappy child, Lucy ran away to the reclusive island home of Jack Masterson, author of the entrancing Clock Island series. She was not alone in wanting to live on his island; his 60-book series appealed to many children. The books featured unhappy children who wished for something and were willing to do the work to make their wishes come true.

Now an adult, Lucy is one of four lucky contestants invited to Jack’s home. After a long barren stretch, he has written one last novel. The four contestants have a chance to win the sole copy and do whatever they want with it. Each of the four contestants has a wish they hope they can fulfill by winning the contest. Also on the island is Hugo, the handsome artist for the series book covers.

Jack, middle-aged, single, childless, and gay, has his own regrets as he realizes that “the amount of sand in the top of my hourglass is far less than the sand in the bottom” (chapter 15 of the advance reader copy). He is mysterious and a bit mad. He has had tragedies in his life, and he has always felt the deepest connection to the children most in love with his books.

This story moved me, touched me, made me laugh, made me cry. Ultimately it is an uplifting read and a story of found families. It reminded me of the best parts of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. In the right hands it will make a terrific movie. I’m definitely putting it on my list to read with the library’s book club after it comes out.

 I read an advance reader copy of The Wishing Game from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be released on May 30 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

Book Review | Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Matthews

From the publisher: A reckless Victorian heiress sets her sights on a dashing ex-naval lieutenant, determined to win his heart as the two of them embark on a quest to solve a decades-old mystery in Mimi Matthews’s sequel to her critically acclaimed novels The Work of Art and Gentleman Jim.

Return to Satterthwaite Court is an unexpected sequel by Mimi Matthews. She wrote two romance novels set in Somerset, England that took place in the same decade. She hadn’t intended to write a series – then she got the idea to write a novel set 20 years later involving the children of the original pairs. For fans of The Work of Art and Gentleman Jim, this is a fun chance to revisit two charming couples with complicated (and even scandalous) courtships.

I got about a quarter of the way into Return to Satterthwaite Court before I decided I needed to set it aside and reread The Work of Art. After I finished that book, I read another quarter of Satterthwaite Court and decided I needed to reread Gentleman Jim. Both were as good as I remembered.

Return to Satterthwaite Court is sweet and satisfying, but considerably less fraught than the first two books. There just really are (spoiler) no obstacles to a happily-ever-after for Kate Beresford and Charles Heywood. She’s a little wild; he’s a little staid, with a touch of trauma from his service in the Navy. The title of the book itself is a spoiler, as the lost family estate of Satterthwaite Court plays a large part in the plot. The book opens with a delightful scene involving a stray dog that is a nod to Georgette Heyer. Dogs and other animals can really brighten up the plots of historical romance, and Matthews does a good job modeling the incomparable Heyer. I also enjoyed her Author’s Note containing additional historical information about some of the things that happen in the book.

The heroine of The Work of Art is known for having one blue eye and one brown eye, and in Return to Satterthwaite Court, her daughter is revealed as having the same. This seemed an unnecessary addition; heterochromia is extremely rare and it’s a condition that is unlikely to be passed down to a child. It certainly didn’t seem necessary for the child to have the same arresting physical characteristic as her parent. But that’s a minor complaint.

Now that one sequel has been written, it’s clear that a number of young people introduced in this novel have romance awaiting them in future books. I’ll read them all.

I was given a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The book is scheduled to be published April 11, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it. The library already owns the first two books.

Book Review | The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden

From the publisher: It’s 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England. But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn’t quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis’s widowed mother. As Margaret’s history threatens to catch up with her, it isn’t long before she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall.

I love a good Gothic novel, and this is one of the best I’ve read recently. It opens with a one-page prologue that teases events that are to come. It’s hard to build suspense and mystery in a novel, but the author does a good job here.

Narrator Margaret is a bit annoying as she allows herself to be bullied by another servant, but as we find out as the book goes along, she has Been Through Things, so her fear and timidity are not out of character. She lost hearing in one ear as a young woman, and in Victorian England, for a woman with no family and no money, that physical imperfection is a concern.

The house is beautifully described – I could imagine it quite well inside and out – and overall the atmosphere is a great combination of haunting and ordinary. Of course there is a distrustful village. Of course there is a handsome gardener. Of course there is a closed off wing to the mansion. But I thought the author deployed the stereotypical elements of a Gothic novel very effectively. All in all, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is just a lot of fun. (And although it is definitely in the tradition of the Victorian Gothic novel, this book believably imparts messages about female strength and empowerment.)

I look forward to future works from author Lumsden. I read an advance reader copy of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall from Netgalley.

The book is scheduled to be published on February 28, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it in multiple formats.

Book Review | Miss Newbury’s List by Megan Walker

From the publisher: Before Rosalind weds, she wants to experience ten things. Meeting Charlie wasn’t on her list.

Miss Newbury’s List by Megan Walker is a clean romance set in the Regency period from Shadow Mountain Publishing’s Proper Romance line. A happily ever after is assured, and behavior will be more or less appropriate to the times.

The story is narrated by Rosalind, who has agreed to marry a duke in order to bring a title to her family. He is marrying her to recover a plot of land sold to her family years ago. They have literally no feelings for one another – good or bad.

Years ago, inspired by her aunt’s wedding, Rosalind made a list of ten things to do before she marries. Although the wedding is fast approaching, she has done none of them. So she enlists her best friend Liza and Liza’s ne’er-do-well cousin to help her to truly enjoy her final days before becoming a duchess. But participating in a set of adventures with an attractive man is not necessarily the safest way to arrive successfully at one’s wedding day to a groom one does not love.

Previously I read Walker’s book Lakeshire Park, and the author’s writing has matured since that book. There is humor (like her best friend’s footman refusing to allow Rosalind into their home) and genuine feeling between characters. It is neither a series of misunderstandings nor refusal to have frank conversations that keeps the lovers apart, but the genuine obstacle of being already engaged. I do still think Walker’s stories could benefit from being written in third person instead of first.

This book has an absolutely gorgeous cover. There is a whole host of side characters, including the disappointed duke, who could receive books of their own if the author decides to make this the first in a series. I definitely consider Megan Walker a Regency romance author to watch.

I read an advance reader copy of Miss Newbury’s List from Netgalley. The book is scheduled to be published on February 7, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it. We also own Walker’s book Lakeshire Park.

Book Review | Isabelle by Sophia Holloway

From the publisher: Isabelle Wareham, whilst caring for her beloved widowed father, has not seen much of the world. After his death, Isabelle finds she is no longer her own mistress but under the guardianship of her unscrupulous brother-in-law, Lord Dunsfold, who sees her as a way to improve his own fortunes. The outlook looks bleak until events throw Isabelle and the impoverished Earl of Idsworth together. However, Dunsfold is determined to force her into a more lucrative match and Isabelle will need to rise above her circumstances to reach her chance of happiness.

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Book Review | The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

From the publisher: A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.

I’ve read all of the novels by Mimi Matthews, and this is one of her best. If you are already familiar with her work, this book is reminiscent of The Matrimonial Advertisement. It also reminded me of one of my favorite books, The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery, and I was pleased to read in the Author’s Note that this was intentional. This is very much a Victorian romance fairy tale. It’s got echoes of the stories of Beauty and the Beast and Bluebeard.

Julia Wynchwood has a reputation in society as a sickly spinster, left on the matrimonial shelf after several seasons. It is in fact her parents who are sickly, and unknown to her, her father has turned away all her suitors because they did not live close enough for Julia to devote her life to caring for her selfish parents. Captain Jasper Blunt, badly scarred from battle, has a reputation as both a war hero and a cruel man with a houseful of bastard children born to him by his dead mistress. She needs escape from her parents. He needs a wife with money to repair his remote decrepit mansion and to help him raise the bastard children.

But of course, all is not as it seems on the surface. There is a lot more to both Julia and Jasper than society knows. Julia sees something in him that offers protection from her parents; she proposes marriage and off they hie to the remote mansion. The author is not coy about the surprises that await the reader. She drops a lot of clues and hints that ratchet up the interest rather than spoiling the plot.

I really love sitting down to a new book by Matthews. Her love of horses and stories shines through every novel she writes. Her character Jasper says:

“Stories like the ones we read in novels help us understand the human condition. … They teach us empathy. In that way, they’re more than an escape from the world. They’re an aid for living in the world. For being better, more compassionate people.” (ch. 24 of the advance reader copy)

I read an advance reader copy of The Belle of Belgrave Square from Netgalley.

It is scheduled to be published on October 11, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it. The Belle of Belgrave Square is the second book in the author’s Belles of London series, and the library already owns the first, The Siren of Sussex, in regular and large print and as an ebook.

Book Review | You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

From the publisher: If I Stay meets Your Name in Dustin Thao’s You’ve Reached Sam, a heartfelt novel about love and loss and what it means to say goodbye.

Seventeen-year-old Julie Clarke has her future all planned out―move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city; spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

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Book Review | The Season by Sophia Holloway

From the publisher: Henrietta Gaydon is making her debut in London society for the Season, but her popularity and apparent ease disguises the fact that she is out of her depth and that she dreads the objective of finding a husband. She longs for home, her father and Lord Henfield, who she has always treated as an older brother. Charles Henfield stopped thinking of Henrietta like a sister when she was sixteen. And he is determined to try his luck with her in London. Mistakes and misunderstandings, the complication of a feud between mamas, and Henrietta’s no longer fraternal feelings for Henfield, all conspire to make this a Season to remember. Main character Henrietta is young and sheltered, but she is sensible and a good conversationalist who has benefitted from her close relationship with her father. Her father’s godson Charles has long treated her as a sister, but although his Read more »

Book Review | The Valet’s Secret by Josi S. Kilpack

From the publisher: A passionate kiss from a handsome valet becomes a Regency Cinderella story when he is revealed to be an earl. What a delight! It’s not often that a historical romance leaves me guessing as much as this one did. There are big obstacles to the romance, and I wondered how the author would work through them. But she did so in a way I found charming and satisfactory. Kenneth has unexpectedly become the heir to an earldom. Rebecca is an educated woman but the daughter of an artist and a former servant in a great house. They meet when he nearly runs her down on a rented horse. He is in disguise as his valet so he can ride with abandon without being scolded by his uncle the earl. After an unpleasant interaction with her abusive father, Rose is out enjoying a simple walk. Their attraction is Read more »

Book Review | The Letter From Briarton Park — Sarah E. Ladd

From the publisher: In Regency England, one letter will alter a young woman’s fate when it summons her to Briarton Park—an ancient place that holds the secrets of her past and the keys to her future.
 
The Letter from Briarton Park is a sweet, predictable clean romance set in Regency era England. Our heroine is plucky Cassandra Hale, a pretty and intelligent young woman who teaches at the Denton School for Young Ladies and knows nothing about her parents as the narrative opens. Mrs. Denton has been like a mother to Cassandra, but Cassandra finds out that she has been lied to her entire life. Mrs. Denton not only knows more than she has said about Cassandra’s family, she has kept a mysterious letter from her for two and a half years – a letter filled with money. Mrs. Denton gives the letter to Cassandra, and then she dies.
The letter invites Cassandra to visit Briarton Park in Northern Yorkshire, and thus Cassandra’s adventure begins. After she travels to Briarton Park, Cassandra finds not the writer of the original letter but James Warrington – a handsome and widowed mill owner who purchased the estate from the letter’s now deceased author.
Also in the mix are a sister, a mother-in-law, and two adorable small girls. (I was a little surprised no mischievous dog appeared as part of the family.) As a beautiful newcomer, Cassandra has her share of admirers – including the local vicar – as she attempts to solve the mystery of her parentage.
I’m no Regency expert, but the historical details didn’t jump out at me as being untrue to the times. The hero’s own lack of a pedigree allows the moneyed orphan to pursue romance. There were some plot points that I thought would play a bigger role in the story but didn’t (spoiler: like the little hiding places all over the house that were apparently just there to add Mysterious Details).
I read an advance reader copy of The Letter from Briarton Park from Netgalley
The Galesburg Public Library will own it once it is released on March 1. It is the first book in a series. The library owns three other titles by author Ladd as well. 
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