⭐️⭐️⭐️THE KING'S DAMSEL (Secrets of the Tudor Court #5) By Kate Emerson

Publisher:  Gallery Books
Pages:  368
Release Date:  2012
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Format:  Paperback

Book Description:  In the fifth novel in Kate Emerson's highly acclaimed Secrets of the Tudor Court series, a young gentlewoman catches King Henry the Eighth's roving eye.In 1533 and again in 1534, Henry the Eighth reportedly kept a mistress while he was married to Anne Boleyn. Now, that mistress comes to vivid life in Kate Emerson's The King's Damsel.
A real-life letter from Spanish Ambassador Eustace Chapuys, written on September 27, 1534, reported that the king had "renewed and increased the love he formerly bore to another very handsome young lady of the Court" and that the queen had tried "to dismiss the damsel from her service." Other letters from Eustace reveal that the mystery woman was a "true friend" of the Princess (later Queen) Mary, Henry's daughter by Catherine of Aragon. Though no one knows who "the king's damsel" really was, here Kate Emerson presents her as young gentlewoman Thomasine Lodge, a lady-in-waiting to King Henry's daughter, Princess Mary. Thomasine becomes the Princess's confidante, especially as Henry's marriage to Catherine dissolves and tensions run high. When the king procures a divorce in order to marry Anne Boleyn, who is suspicious and distrustful of Mary, Mary has Thomasine placed in Anne's service to be her eyes and ears. And that's when she gets the attention of the king...
Rich in historical detail and featuring a wealth of bonus material, The King's Damsel is sure to keep readers coming back for more in the exciting series!

Wanda's Thoughts: 

Thomasine (Tamsin) Lodge, a young heiress, becomes a maid of honor to Princess Mary Tudor. She was overcome by homesickness, missing her stepmother, Blanche, and all her many privileges she had as a child. She had never been a servant. If she did not make herself pleasing to Princess Mary’s Court, and those she met there, there would be consequences. By the time the first year had ended, Tamsin had adjusted and became a part of her new family. Soon she was providing entertainment for the household by telling stories to the princess and her court. The character of Tamsin is strong, yet sensitive, and vulnerable.

Sir Lionel Daggett became Tamsin’s guardian, and she had an intense dislike for him from the beginning. He was a wicked man who controlled her inheritance. Daggett commanded Tamsin to impress the king by using her charms to become his damsel. If she didn’t obey, she would be married off to any man who offered him a large enough bribe. This was all to his advantage, that he might prosper – she was to become his advocate.

And the story unfolds with the account of Anne Boleyn’s life and how she played the “game of love” to win over Henry VIII, and later becoming Queen Anne. Henry VIII, King of England, had his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled because of his love for Anne Boleyn.

The research behind this story brings credibility to The King’s Damsel. I must admit I had a desire to see how the character interactions would play out. It is rich with description – the setting is vividly depicted – and the historical aspect is so very well written.

But I did struggle with this book. The pacing drags in the beginning, but finally picks up about mid-way through. There are many historical references throughout, and the story blends both fact and fiction into what should’ve been a compelling tale. Unfortunately I found it to be just lukewarm. The book had an interesting premise, but it just failed to deliver. My rating is 3 stars.

About the Author:  Kate Emerson is a pseudonym used by Kathy Lynn Emerson, author of the Face Down Mysteries featuring Susanna Appleton, 16th century gentlewoman, herbalist, and sleuth, the award-winning How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, and a wide assortment of other books.

She was born in Liberty, New York and recieved an A.B. from Bates College and an MA from Old Dominion University. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and other professional organizations. She currently lives in rural Western Maine with her husband and three cats.

"Kate Emerson" is her pseudonym to distinguish her historical novels set in the Tudor era (England 1485-1603) that feature real but little known historical figures as the protagonists.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT By Ann Rule

Publisher:  Free Press
Release Date:  2010
Genre:  Non-Fiction/True Crime
Format:  Hardcover

About the Book: 
In this new true crime book, New York Times bestselling author Rule investigates the case of a woman whose supposed suicide may not be what it seems.

Wanda's Thoughts:  Ronda had served 8 years as a Washington state trooper before resigning from the force. She had been the youngest female cadet ever hired and life seemed to be turning out just as she’d hoped. She soon met up with several misfortunes in life and after her disappointing resignation from the Patrol she started working in a store security for Wal-Mart. Ronda’s life seemed to be crashing down around her. Her first marriage had ended in divorce, and now her second marriage, that had lasted less than a year, was about to end. But Ronda always managed to bounce back, never feeling bitter or sorry for herself. On a December morning in 1998 Ronda was found dead in her home and her death was declared undetermined, and then suicide.

Barb Thompson, Ronda’s mother, would never accept that her daughter committed suicide. She would dedicate the next several years of her life trying to prove that her daughter was murdered.

Ann Rule has written a very fascinating, but haunting story with multiple sides, a disturbing story with so many possibilities, and unfortunately a story with no resolution. I was completely absorbed in this story throughout. My only complaint was the poor editing, with several grammatical errors throughout. My rating – 4 stars.

About the Author: Ann Rule was a popular American true crime writer. Raised in a law enforcement and criminal justice system environment, she grew up wanting to work in law enforcement herself. She was a former Seattle Policewoman and was well educated in psychology and criminology.

She came to prominence with her first book, The Stranger Beside Me, about the Ted Bundy murders. At the time she started researching the book, the murders were still unsolved. In the course of time, it became clear that the killer was Bundy, her friend and her colleague as a trained volunteer on the suicide hotline at the Seattle, Washington Crisis Clinic, giving her a unique distinction among true crime writers.

Rule won two Anthony Awards from Bouchercon, the mystery fans' organization. She was nominated three times for the Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. She is highly regarded for creating the true crime genre as it exists today.

Ann Rule also wrote under the name Andy Stack . Her daughter is Goodreads author Leslie Rule.

⭐️⭐️⭐️The Cavendon Women By Barbara Taylor Bradford

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Release Date:  March 24, 2015
Pages:  448
Format:  Kindle
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Book Description:  From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a stunning and dramatic saga of love and loyalty. The aristocratic Inghams have been served by the Swann family for centuries. The Cavendon Women follows these two families' journeys from a weekend in the summer of 1926 through to the devastation of the financial crash of 1929.

It all begins on a summer weekend in July of 1926, when, for the first time in years, the Earl has planned a family weekend. Everyone is intrigued by the invitation, and everyone has their own reasons for accepting it. As the family members come together, secrets, problems, joys, and sorrows are revealed. And as old enemies come out of the shadows and the Swanns' loyalty to the Inghams gets tested in ways none of them could have predicted, it is up to the Cavendon women to band together and bring their family into a new decade, and a new way of life.

Told with Barbara Taylor Bradford's trademark attention to detail and passionate prose, The Cavendon Women will grip readers as they follow the beloved characters through times of triumph and turmoil.

Wanda's Thoughts: 

The Cavendon Women, a sequel to Cavendon Hall, fell flat for me. The Book is predictable, problems are solved too easily, and I had a great deal of difficulty distinguishing between the many characters.

1926- 1929 – This family saga was built on the four Ingham sisters, all who emerge as strong and determined women, and the Swanns, who served them. The Inghams and Swanns have lived together for over 170 years and both families displayed an extraordinary amount of loyalty to each other. Cavendon Hall wasn’t what it used to be. The Great War had changed everything.

My favorite character was Cecily Swann, a successful fashion designer. She not only sold her clothes in London, but also in America. She had a future filled with challenges and she’d become truly independent. Miles Ingham was a part of her past. He’d broken her heart when he married another woman, but she still loved him and didn’t think she’d ever forget him.

And the story unfolds with various melodramas, complications, and romance. So much of the story came across as unrealistic, with pretentious dialogue, and excessive reiteration throughout. The ending did have some redeeming qualities, but again, problems were too easily wrapped up. My rating is 3 stars.

About the Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford is the author of 30 bestselling novels, including The Cavendon Women, Cavendon Hall, and The Ravenscar Dynasty. She was born in Leeds, England, and from an early age, she was a voracious reader: at age 12, she had already read all of Dickens and the Brontë sisters. By the age of twenty, she was an editor and columnist on Fleet Street. She published her first novel, A Woman of Substance, in 1979, and it has become an enduring bestseller.

Barbara Taylor Bradford’s books are published in over 90 countries in 40 languages, with sales figures in excess of 88 million. Ten of her novels have been adapted into television mini-series starring actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, Deborah Kerr and Elizabeth Hurley. She has been inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America, and in June of 2007, Barbara was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to Literature.

She lives in New York City with her husband, television producer Robert Bradford, to whom all her novels are dedicated.

⭐️⭐️⭐️NIV UNDERSTAND THE FAITH STUDY BIBLE

Publisher:  Zondervan
Release Date:  September 22, 2015
Pages:  1484
Format:  Hardcover

Description:  
The NIV Understand the Faith Study Bible, with content from Christianity Today, provides a deep grounding in Scripture. You will appreciate the way this Bible keeps the joyful, astounding nature of the gospel always in view when addressing doctrine and the pressing questions about faith. Its content will help you understand what you believe and why while inspiring you to live for God.

Wanda's Thoughts: 

The NIV Understand the Faith Study Bible has a beautiful cover – a real eye catcher.  The font was crisp and clear making it especially easy to read.  I so appreciated that!  The features that I found most interesting and helpful were the Doctrine 101, Everyday Faith, and Living Parables. 

Unfortunately this Bible left me wanting more.  I just couldn’t relate to this as a study Bible.  There were no study notes to correlate with the scriptures, and I really missed that.  I will certainly continue to use it as a supplementary to my collection of Bibles, but more for reference.  My rating is 3 stars.

I received a copy of this Bible from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for Every Season By Michael Symon

Publisher:  Clarkson Potter
Release Date:  September 29, 2015
Pages:  256
Genre:  Cookbook

Book Description:  5 fresh ingredients + 5 minutes of heat = 165 recipes
 
Ridiculously easy from-scratch recipes to get you in and out of the kitchen in a flash every day of the week—now with sides and holiday dishes, too

The follow-up to the bestselling Michael Symon’s 5 in 5, this new book delivers 165 quick, easy, fresh recipes organized by season with an entire section devoted to making the holidays simpler than ever. Each chapter features inspired main courses as well as recipes for sides and 5 fun ways to celebrate the season, including no-bake summer fruit desserts and spiked drinks to warm up with in winter.

Wanda's Thoughts: 
I love the simplicity of the recipes, with the easy to follow directions, and they are certainly quick and affordable. Included are delicious dishes that take little effort, but have depths of flavor.

There are 165 recipes for Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Holidays, and with beautiful illustrations. I've tried the Sweet Onion Smothered Pork Chops that I would give a 5 * rating, and a very simple Grape & Feta Salad that was delicious! I have many more recipes marked to try. Also included is a list of pantry items needed to make every recipe in the book.

I immediately liked this cookbook and know I will use it often. My rating is 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Cavendon Hall By Barbara Taylor Bradford

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Release Date:  April 2014
Pages:  416
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Format: Hardcover

Book Description: 
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an epic saga of intrigue and mystique set in Edwardian England. Cavendon Hall is home to two families, the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. Charles Ingham, the sixth Earl of Mowbray, lives there with his wife Felicity and their six children. Walter Swann, the premier male of the Swann family, is valet to the earl. His wife Alice, a clever seamstress who is in charge of the countess's wardrobe, also makes clothes for the four daughters. For centuries, these two families have lived side-by-side, beneath the backdrop of the imposing Yorkshire manor. Lady Daphne, the most beautiful of the Earl's daughters, is about to be presented at court when a devastating event changes her life and threatens the Ingham name. With World War I looming, both families will find themselves tested in ways they never thought possible. Loyalties will be challenged and betrayals will be set into motion. In this time of uncertainty, one thing is sure: these two families will never be the same again.
Cavendon Hall is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her very best, and its sweeping story of secrets, love, honor, and betrayal will have readers riveted up to the very last page.

Wanda's Thoughts: 
1913- Cavendon was one of the greatest stately homes in England. The Swanns of Little Skell Village had been working at Cavendon Hall for over 160 years, ever since the days of the first earl in the 18th century. The Inghams, an aristocratic family, and the Swanns, the loyal servants, were closely intertwined and bound together by respect. The Swanns knew everything about Charles Ingham – the sixth Earl of Mowbray, and his family.

Early on in the story line a horrifying tragedy occurs to a family member of the Ingham family, creating much drama. This terrifying act could have destroyed the family, but the Swanns take control and do everything in their power to protect the Inghams. And the story unfolds ---

This book brings you into the world of British style drama with similarities to Downton Abbey. I loved the diverse characters - finding them to be appealing, and there were many, but I was able to connect to them as the relationships are explained easily.

As many of the reviews have indicated, the story line is a bit implausible, dialogue repetitive, and the major problems are too easily resolved. None of the above deterred me from reading this novel, and I plan on reading the next in the series, The Cavendon Women. I really enjoyed this book! Barbara Taylor Bradford has been a favorite of mine since the Woman of Substance series. She has a natural talent for writing about strong, sensitive, and vulnerable women. My rating - 4 stars.

About the Author:  Barbara Taylor Bradford is the author of 30 bestselling novels, including The Cavendon Women, Cavendon Hall, and The Ravenscar Dynasty. She was born in Leeds, England, and from an early age, she was a voracious reader: at age 12, she had already read all of Dickens and the Brontë sisters. By the age of twenty, she was an editor and columnist on Fleet Street. She published her first novel, A Woman of Substance, in 1979, and it has become an enduring bestseller.

Barbara Taylor Bradford’s books are published in over 90 countries in 40 languages, with sales figures in excess of 88 million. Ten of her novels have been adapted into television mini-series starring actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Liam Nelson, Deborah Kerr and Elizabeth Hurley. She has been inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America, and in June of 2007, Barbara was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to Literature.

She lives in New York City with her husband, television producer Robert Bradford, to whom all her novels are dedicated.

⭐️⭐️⭐️CHARLOTTE'S STORY (Bliss House Novels) By Laura Benedict

Publisher:  Pegasus
Release Date:  October 15, 2015
Pages:  400
Genre:  Fiction/Paranormal
Format:  Hardcover

About the Book:  The fall of 1957 in southern Virginia was a seemingly idyllic, even prosperous time. A young housewife, Charlotte Bliss, lives with her husband, Hasbrouck Preston “Press” Bliss, and their two young children, Eva Grace and Michael, in the gorgeous Bliss family home. On the surface, theirs seems a calm, picturesque life, but soon tragedy befalls them: four tragic deaths, with apparently simple explanations.
But nothing is simple if Bliss House is involved. How far will Charlotte go to discover the truth? And how far will she get without knowing who her real enemy is? Though Bliss House may promise to give its inhabitants what they want, it never gives them exactly what they expect.

Wanda's Thoughts: 
This was a difficult book for me to review because of possibly revealing too much. I don’t want to spoil it for future readers.

Randolph Bliss had built Bliss house in 1870. It was unlike the other grand houses in the area, having both a ballroom and a full theater on the third floor. It was a house that seemed to show more preference for stateliness than comfort. The house was tall and ungainly, but had a touch of romance to it, with its formal and lush gardens. Bliss house had a reputation for unnatural death and the presence of lingering death – a house that seemed to be haunted. And the family had certainly seen more than its share of tragedy over the years. There were some who said that Randolph Bliss had committed some crime that caused the house to be cursed.

1957 – Charlotte, married to Preston (Press) Bliss was now mistress of Bliss house, and the couple had two young children, Eva and Michael. Charlotte actually believed in ghosts long before she married Press and became a part of Bliss House. Charlotte’s mother had died when she was four years old, and when she was six, Charlotte had a haunting experience involving her mother’s ghost when she appeared to Charlotte.

And the story unfolds as tragedy occurs at Bliss house along with strange and unnatural happenings. Nothing is as it seems, and dark secrets are slowly revealed. Charlotte becomes very restless and tortured with grief and guilt as she searches for answers.

The author certainly has a vivid imagination with all the strange occurrences. Charlotte’s Story has a very dark story-line with a varied cast of eccentric characters. I thought the ending was just outstanding, with a resolution I did not see coming. It was a compelling tale of suspense that was haunting and rich with description. All of the characters do intertwine and are important to the story-line.

Unfortunately I never became absorbed in the story-line until about 200 pages into the book – it seemed to drag on and on. Finally the author picked up the tempo and intensity and I became fully engaged. This is certainly a worthwhile read! I waffled between a 3 and 4 and decided on 3.5 stars.


About the Author:  Author of dark suspense novels, including CHARLOTTE'S STORY: A Bliss House Novel, the second Bliss House book. BLISS HOUSE (a Southern Gothic ghost story) is now available in paperback. Laura's earlier novels, DEVIL'S OVEN, ISABELLA MOON and CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS, are available in paper and as ebooks. She lives in the southernmost part of a Midwestern state, surrounded by coyotes, owls, snakes, and the occasional bobcat.