The Legend of the Green Man by Sara Hely

Kitty Harcombe is finally hoping to find love in a marriage. Her first one had it's moments but her husband died young after getting in a horse riding accident. Lord Fossick seems to be the man for her, so she sends a letter and can only hope he got it in time. Traveling is horrendous and when the next carriage doesn't show up, Kitty is at her wits end. That begins a whole series of events that make Kitty wonder if she should have ever left London.

Ms. Hely's first novel is fantastic. I was moved by the time period in Ireland of 1798. A lot happened and you can tell that with how the characters react to the events that take place in the book. Her characters are strong ones and not to be trifled with.

I loved Kitty cause she wanted to stick to her plans. Maggie, her servant, tried to talk her out of it. But she had to see things for herself. She was a stubborn person but she finally was able to see things for herself. It made her realize what she really wanted. Luke Denny was sick of being downtrodden. He could only prove himself and his family if he could talk to the head of the family. It might take some help from The Green Man.

I have had this book for so long that I'm surprised I haven't read it sooner. It was a fantastic ride and I would love to see if there is more by this author. She knows how to keep you in suspense. I was thoroughly pleased.

Sara Hely/ New Author/275 pages/ Ireland/Fiction/Historical/ 4 out of 5


I have a picture, just couldn't find my card reader. I hope to post it tomorrow sometime. :)Off to read set in Alaska! Great timing with the Iditarod.

Elizabeth Whitley always knew that she was to be in midwife. It ran in her family line and so she knew that was what she was supposed to do. Yet she lost her heart to a man who cannot return her feelings since he is in mourning. Taking care of her adopted daughter Lauren finally perks her up and keeps her going on. She must come to terms that she may never have children, learn to love again, and watch Lauren bloom.

Ms. Laskas has a fantastic emotional novel on her hands. Her characters run the gamut. I was impressed with the information she had to find and how records were kept even in the Appalachian mountains. I didn't know a lot about the place setting or the time that the book follows. The immense research that Ms. Laskas did really impressed me. Seeing the world through one person's eyes made it more poignant. Yet learning how to live and love the life you do have keeps running through the story.

Elizabeth had some hardships ahead of her. Not only with learning how to be a midwife but needing to stand on her own two feet. Her childhood love is unrequited for so long but she never gives up. Also figuring out how to be respectful and not push boundaries. When Lauren enters the picture, Elizabeth finds someone to put all her attention on and to help. Elizabeth's mother embraced everything about being a midwife. She just hopes that her daughter will follow and understand that there are parts that aren't so good. Lauren has an interesting life ahead of her with the gift she is given. The support she gets from not only her dad and Elizabeth keeps her going.

This debut by this author was a good start and I am curious to see what else she comes up with next. I am in awe of what she was able to write in one story. This is definitely an author I would more by. Some times I didn't quite understand Elizabeth's logic but figured it would reveal itself in the end.

Gretchen Moran Laskas/ New Author/243 pages/ Appalachian Mountains/ Historical Fiction/ 4 out of 5

I don't feel the cover represents the book as well but it's still nice. I'll pick up the next book I plan on reading tomorrow. Extra sleep would be a good thing to start out the week!

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

A family destined to be in the record books in Egypt. But when the Pharaoh dies, Nefertiti must be married to the younger son of the two. Her family doesn't think it is a good idea but Nefertiti is determined to see that it works. But the one caught up in it all is her sister Mutnodjmet. Her life is taken away from her as she serves her sister. She'd do anything for Nefertiti but as time goes by, she wonders what kind of queen Nefertiti wants to become.

Ms. Moran has definitely done her research. Yeah a few things were changed but this is fiction after all. The story swept me up and it was written very well! Ms. Moran certainly knew how to place a scene before you and keep you turning pages. The characters evolve at a good pace. There is a lot of the history I wasn't sure about but I was able to follow the story line in spite of it.

Mutnodjmet is a wonderful character. I grew to really like her and wish she was real. She had her head grounded and she'd help her family in any way she could within reason. Her knowledge of herbs was phenomenal for that time. Nefertiti started out knowing what she was to become. Yet along the way, I felt she didn't care what others thought. At first, it wasn't a bad thing but over time, I felt she needed to be a little more open. Now mind you, I don't know what it is like to be a first wife. I've never had to really vie for my husband's attention. So this situation wasn't something I could relate to all that well.

A powerful debut by this author and I am curious to see where the next book in the series goes. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to it but I plan on it eventually. This author explains herself in the back of the book with some of the things she changed. I understood why she did but before then I had no clue that she had really changed anything. I was pleased with her writing style and how the characters unfolded in the story. This is definitely a new author to me and one that I'll pick up with each new book.

Michelle Moran/New Author/ Egypt/ Historical Fiction/ 462 pages/ 3.5 out of 5

I plan on starting The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane sometime today but have a few things I need to get done around here first. :)I hope it lives up to all the hype I've heard about it.