The Barrister and the Letter of Marque Todd M. Johnson book review

 

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque

Todd M. Johnson

 

 As a barrister in 1818 London, William Snopes has witnessed firsthand the danger of only the wealthy having their voices heard, and he's a strong advocate who defends the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Madeleine Jameson, arrives at his door.

In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in a merchant brig, the Padget. The ship was granted a rare privilege by the king's regent: a Letter of Marque authorizing the captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the Padget returns to London, her crew is met by soldiers ready to take possession of their goods and arrest the captain for piracy. And the Letter--the sole proof his actions were legal--has mysteriously vanished.

Moved by the lady's distress, intrigued by the Letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, Snopes takes the case. But as he delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more perilous than he'd imagined.

 

My Review: 9.5/10

Oooh this was such a good book! I had to stop at periodic intervals to rave about the writing to anyone within earshot.

It's a slow build, but at about 40-50% through becomes a page turner you just can't put down. This book is wonderful. It is suspenseful with a hint of romance but most importantly: intelligent characters all around. Clever foes, natural (ie self-interested) acting supporting characters and intelligent leads all combine to make the story as believable as it is well written. I loved it.

The Joplin Chronicles #3 Engaging Deception by Regina Jennings book review

The Joplin Chronicles #3

Engaging Deception

Regina Jennings

Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even though she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it's only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny--not knowing that she'll be working for her idol, Joplin's leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.

Maxfield is intrigued by his new nanny--she makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. An untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What's worse, Maxfield's current client wants changes to his plans because of that builder's work.

As the architectural one-upmanship heats up, Olive's involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?

 

My Review: 9/10

This was a delightfully fun read with all of the usual antics of the Kentworth cousins – Amos in particular stole the show. I would have loved it for the story itself. But additionally, I really connected with the faith messages in the story; I have a lot of “amens” written after the highlights portions, haha. The message about things not happening willy-nilly and God being the designer of your life was particularly timely for me personally and hit it’s mark head on.

There are themes of loss, healing and moving forward. And since it is the love story of a widower, I really appreciated that this book didn’t do a disservice to marriage (like so many others do) by presenting the first marriage as seriously lacking (ie being an arranged one, there being infidelity or major disconnects, or it just being a loveless marriage, etc). Maxfield really loved his first wife and I loved the way Willow respected and made space for it. So well done.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet read, highly recommend! And if you haven’t read the others in the series, go back and start with those!

The Sisters of Sea View Julie Klassen book review

The Sisters of Sea View

Julie Klassen

When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers convinces her sisters to open their seaside home to guests to provide for their ailing mother. Emily and Georgiana agree, but Viola, who wears a veil to cover a scar, detests the idea.

Determined to stay together, the sisters begin the new venture. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family. Meanwhile, the new situation exposes Viola's scars--both the visible and those hidden deep within--and her cloistered heart will never be the same.

 

My Review: 7.5/10

  Though this book was a slow build for me, I became attached to each of the characters and at about halfway through I couldn't put it down. There are 5 daughters and a mother, plus a houseful of guests, plus a seaside town of people. There are many threads woven together and personal histories with layers of color. I loved the four sisters we came to know intimately in this novel, their distinct personalities and strengths, and was rooting for each of them in turn. This book is a cup of warm tea and I can't wait for another.

*A minor note: as always not a fan of using others' characters or dialogue, etc. (Jane Austen in this instance), even when credit is given.