Frontline Angel

Happy Saturday! I have spent the day cleaning and decorating.  My mother is expecting company tomorrow (very early).  Our living room still looks like a disaster zone, but the den is company ready. I have to pick my battles (or, in this case, cleaning areas).  How about you?  Are ready for your Christmas company?

Frontline Angel by Genevieve Jordayne starts in 1939 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Elizabeth “Eliza” O’Grady has important news to tell her parents, but she is not sure how to break the news.  Eliza heads down to dinner and is surprised to see her beau, Steven Howard at the table.  Steven has a surprise for Eliza.  He proposes marriage much to her surprise (and to her parent’s delight).  But, Eliza is not ready to settle down.  Eliza has completed her nursing training and, due to the depression, has not been able to find a job locally.  Eliza has signed up with the Army Nursing Corp (she had planned to tell her parents at dinner).  She has dreamed of traveling and adventure.  Eliza turns down Steven’s proposal and breaks the news to her parents.  Eliza spends two years stateside and then gets her dream assignment in the Philippines (Manila).  Eliza falls in love with this tropical island and quickly settles in.  Eliza is working at Sternberg Hospital one evening when some drunk soldiers stumble in.  Private First Class James Marshall (Jimmy) and his friend, Corporal Jonathon “Reese” Moretti.  Reese and Eliza are instantly attracted to each other and thus begins their relationship.  Then the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor.  The war rapidly spreads to the Philippines, and Eliza’s dream assignment turns into a nightmare.  Eliza will need her wits about her to survive the next three years on the Japanese occupied island.  To see how Eliza fares during the war along with Reese you will need to read Frontline Angel.

Frontline Angel was very good. Genevieve Jordayne does a superb job at capturing the time and place (the events that happened to the nurses and soldiers at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army).  I have read many non-fiction books on the subject, and Ms. Jordayne does a great job at handling this terrible time in history.  It is tragic what the nurses endured.  Frontline Angel is well-written and has a good main character in Eliza.  The women of the Army Nursing Corp are often overlooked in the history books.   I give Frontline Angel 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  I just felt there was too much romance (and sex scenes) in the first part of the book (after Eliza and Reese meet).  It took away from an otherwise wonderful novel (if not for that section I would have given the book 5 stars).  Frontline Angel will take you through the full range of emotions (happy, sad, angry).  I enjoyed the ending the author gave to the novel.  If you enjoy novels set during World War II, I recommend you read Frontline Angel.  Frontline Angel is available on Kindle Unlimited (if you are a member).

Thank you so much for taking time out of you day to visit my site.  I need to get back to my decorating and then I am going to collapse in my bed (for about 30 minutes and then I have a blanket to make for a gift).  I am currently reading The Lady Who Dream Me In by Thomasine Rappold (third book in the Sole Survivor series).  I hope all of you have a great night.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

Love, Alice

Greetings!  I hope everyone has had a good Friday.  There are only two more left in 2016 (after today).  I spent the day finishing the lights on the tree.  I used over ten sets this year.  I try to have a light on every single branch or stem (we like a brightly lit tree).  I can now start putting on the ornaments.  We also have Boyd's Bears and Anna Lee items that get stuffed up in the middle (so the whole tree looks full when I am done).  I will get pictures when I am finished.

Love, Alice by Barbara Davis is the story about grieving and moving beyond it.  Dovie Larkin is thirty-six years old and lost her artist fiancé a year ago.  He committed suicide two weeks before their wedding.  Dovie cannot move on because she has unanswered questions.  William, her fiancé, did not leave a note.  Dovie does not understand why he killed himself.  Was she not good enough for him?  Dovie takes her lunch each day at William’s grave (which people think is weird).  Dovie has been forgetful and flighty the last year.  She needs to get her act together or she will lose her job at the museum (and she worked very hard for her promotion).  Dovie is a curator at the Charleston Museum of Cultural Arts and is organizing a fundraiser for the new art education wing (with the help of the Austin Tate).  One day in the cemetery Dovie sees a woman who seems to be as grief stricken as Dovie.  Dovie watches her leave a letter at the grave that has Alice’s Angel on it. Dovie takes the letter and reads it.  This letter leads Dovie on a journey to help Dora.  It also sets Dovie on a path to get the answers she needs to help her move on with her life.

Love, Alice is about Dovie finding answers she feels she needs by helping Dora.  Ultimately, though, the book is a romance novel (it dives into a romance between Austin Tate and Dovie).  The story is set in 2005 with the letters taking the reader back in time.   I liked Dora and her daughter Alice’s story.  It was the best part of the book.  It was interesting how the author tied everything together.  I found the “surprises” were no surprise.  The reader can easily figure them out in advance of the reveal.  I wanted to give Dovie a good shake and tell her to open her eyes.  Dovie was too old to not see what was right in front of her (it was so obvious).  She is not some naïve twenty-something.  I give Love, Alice 2.5 out of 5 stars.  I found the book to be a too long.  It desperately needed some rewriting and trimming.  There are many slow sections in the book.  Dovie does her “thinking” and “questioning” which gets tedious (I skimmed through these areas).  Love, Alice was not my type of book.  If you are looking for a feel-good romance novel, then you will enjoy Love, Alice.

I hope you found today's review helpful.  I am currently reading A Pinch of Poison by Alyssa Maxwell.  I am off to get dinner.  I am going to enjoy Chinese tonight (yum).  I hope all of you have a lovely evening.  Find time for yourself amid the Christmas hustle and bustle.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

The Book Club Murders

Welcome!  I hope everyone has had a good Thursday.  As many of you know I enjoy mysteries, and I was happy to hear that Kate Carlisle's Fixer Upper Mystery series is coming to Hallmark Movie and Mysteries Channel!  Colin Ferguson (from Eureka and Haven) will be the love interest.  Jewel (I have no clue who this is) will star as Shannon Hammer. I look forward to watching it in 2017!

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel is the debut novel in The Oakwood Mystery series.  Charlotte “Charley” Carpenter owns Old Hat Vintage Fashions in Oakwood, Ohio (wonderful state).  Charley is joining the Agathas Book Club to garner more customers (a higher end clientele) for her shop.  But Charley does not enjoy the ladies in the group or their endless gossip.  It seems someone else shares Charley’s opinion.  Serena Wyndham is found on a mattress under a bridge.  The killer staged the scene, but why? Charley is curious about the murder and does some snooping around.  Then a second victim, Lisa Summerfield is found.  She is also from the Agathas and her murder is reminiscent of a book the club read recently.  Whoever is murdering these women knows the Agathas Book Club members and the books on their reading list.  What does the killer have against the Agathas?  Charley is determined to get answers and make sure the culprit pays for his crimes.

The Book Club Murders is easy to read and has a nice small town setting.  I had high hopes for this book (a mystery about mysteries), but I was not entertained.   The Book Club Murders, unlike regular cozy mysteries, contains foul language and sex (neither of which are needed).  Ms. Nagel overplayed the sexual attraction between Detective Marcus Trenault and Charley (steamy, sizzling).  It was over-the-top and annoying.  I wrote down “We get it.  She dislikes Marc but is attracted to him.”  This book was turning into a “bodice ripper”.  An example is “attraction burned as bright as ever” (cliché and not the only one in book).  The first murder occurs in chapter one which makes for a long book.  I wish authors would lead into the murder.  If it happens too early in the book, the readers quickly loses interest (and skips to the end to see if they correctly identified the killer).  The author is a descriptive writer and provides minute detail on what seems like every little thing.  Charley was not a likeable character.  She is extremely nosy, determined, and has attitude issues.  It is Charley’s way and get out of the way if you do not approve.  I give The Book Club Murders 2.5 out of 5 stars (I did not like it).  The mystery may seem complicated, but it can easily be solved.  There is a good twist, but, if you are a regular mystery reader, you will see it forthcoming.  The idea was good, but I was not partial to the finished product.  There is an excerpt for The Antique House Murders at the end of the book.  I will not be continuing with this series (it is just not for me).

Thank you for visiting.  I am currently reading Death Comes to the Fair by Catherine Lloyd (just now working it into my reading schedule).  I am off to do some more Christmas decorating.   May all of you have a lovely, relaxing night.  I will see you tomorrow when I review another novel. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

The Queen's Accomplice: A Maggie Hope Mystery

Happy Wednesday!  I hope everyone has been having a blessed day. Today I am featuring Susan Elia Macneal who writes A Maggie Hope Mystery series.  The books in the series are Mr. Churchill's Secretary, Princess Elizabeth's Spy, His Majesty's Hope, The Prime Minister's Secret Agent, and Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante. 

The Queen’s Accomplice by Susan Elia Macneal is the ninth book in A Maggie Hope Mystery series.  Maggie Hope is temporarily working in the SOE offices while waiting for her half-sister, Elise Hess to arrive from Germany (thanks to Prime Minister Winston Churchill).  But London is a dangerous place for young women.  A killer is targeting women who are coming to London to be SOE and ATS agents.  The killer is reconstructing the crimes of Jack the Ripper.   This culprit is using the blackouts to his advantage.  The press dubs him the “Blackout Beast”.  Maggie is recruited by MI-5 for a team to catch this killer.  Maggie will need to be careful.  Jack the Ripper’s last victim looked very similar to Maggie.  Will they be able to catch this offender before he claims Maggie as his next victim?

The Queen’s Accomplice is well-written and interesting to read.  There is, though, a lot going on in this novel.  I only summarized the mystery portion of the story.  There are several side stories.  Elise Hess in Germany, Clara Hess (Maggie’s mother) is still on the loose in London, Maggie’s father, Edmund is in the hospital, the training of two new agents for a covert mission to France, Chuck’s home blowing up, Max Thompson’s interest in Maggie, and Maggie’s home (that she inherited from her grandmother) has been fixed and she can now move in.  It is hard to keep track of all the characters and the various scenarios.  I give The Queen’s Accomplice 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  I enjoyed The Queen’s Accomplice more than Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante.  I did find a few things unbelievable.  Maggie getting favors from the Queen of England and the Prime Minister just does not seem realistic.  The mystery was not puzzling.  The identity of the “Blackout Beast” was obvious as well as how he controlled the victims.  Maggie's accomplishments from past novels are mentioned in The Queen's Accomplice (the mysteries from the other books in the series). I believe that you can read each book as a stand-alone.  The author does give the reader the needed information to understand Maggie. I will be reading the next book in A Maggie Hope Mystery series which is titled The Paris Spy (out August 15, 2017).  I am curious to see what happens next (Maggie is heading to France).

I am off to enjoy dinner and then work on the Christmas cards (I am running so late this year).  The season finale of Younger is on tonight!  I will see you tomorrow when I review another book I have recently read.  I am currently reading Titus Returns by Amy Lillard.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

More Than a Promise: A Quilting Circle Novella

How is everyone doing this Tuesday?  I hope all of you are well and warm.  I understand it is cold in the northern states.  I have not seen snow since I was eleven years old (that's when we moved to Florida).  Do any of you make snow cream (ice cream made from snow)?  My father would make it for us from freshly fallen snow. It is delicious.  

More Than a Promise by Amy Lillard is a short novella that is a part of The Quilting Circle series (also ties in with the Wells Landing Romance series).  We return to Wells Landing, Oklahoma and the Amish community that resides there.  Marianne Miller has just lost her husband, Leroy.  They had been married for fifteen years.  Actually, Marianne lost Leroy months ago when his nature changed from the man she married and loved.  Leroy had a brain tumor that caused vicissitudes to his personality.  Marianne is worried how she is going to support herself especially since she has discovered she is pregnant.  Rueben Weisel was Leroy’s best friend and business partner.  He has been there for Marianne during this difficult time.  When Marianne’s doctor orders bed rest, Rueben stops by every day to visit her.  Marianne dislikes being stuck in bed and appreciates his company.  She also begins to care for him as more than a friend.  Then Rueben proposes to Marianne.  She accepts and knows that people in the community will not approve because she is still in her mourning period.  But then Marianne finds a letter to Rueben from Leroy asking him to take care of Marianne.  Now Marianne does not know if Rueben is marrying her out of love or obligation?

More Than a Promise is a quick and easy novella to read.  It is well-written and has a good pace.  It is nice to revisit Wells Landing and the quilting circle ladies.  I give More Than a Promise 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  More Than a Promise has an unsurprising ending, but it was romantic and sweet (it will make you smile).  I found More Than a Promise a heartwarming and wholesome book (no sex, bad language, drugs, or violence).  More Than a Promise can be read alone, but I do recommend that you read More Than Friendship (and the novels in the Wells Landing Romance series).  There is a preview of Titus Returns at the end of the book (which comes out at the end of December).  The next book in The Quilting Circle series is More Than a Marriage which will be released on February 28, 2017.  Just Plain Sadie, Courting Emily, Caroline's Secret, Lorie's Heart, and Marrying Jonah are books in the Wells Landing Romance series (tie in with The Quilting Circle series).  I recommend reading Pattern of Betrayal by Mae Fox and Amy Lillard.  It is different from her Amish novels (I really enjoyed it).  

Thank you for visiting.  I am currently reading Michelangelo's Ghost by Gigi Pandian.  I have not been able to fit it into my schedule until today. May all of you have an enjoyable evening.  I will return tomorrow with another scintillating review (in my humble opinion).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Kissing Father Christmas

Happy Monday!  Only two weeks left until Christmas and so much to do. My daughter wanted to wrap up gifts yesterday.  I had to explain that it was not a good idea.  Cats and dogs tend to take present under the tree as a challenge.  They work to get them open, chew them up, and see how big a mess they can create.  I wait and wrap gifts on Christmas Eve. I then put them up very high! I keep their (dogs and cats) gifts hidden in a trunk until Christmas morning (of course I get them presents)!

In Kissing Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn we return to Carlton Heath.  Anna (related to Andrew) was in England a year and a half ago for the wedding of Miranda and Ian.  Anna fell in love with Carlton Heath, and she particularly enjoyed a kiss from groomsman, Peter Elliott.  Anna has been invited back to Carlton Heath for Christmas, and Anna is hoping to spend more time with Peter.  Unfortunately, Peter is not of a similar mind.  He only wants to be friends.  Peter is pushing Anna away because he has a secret (which many people in the village know about).  But fate keeps pushing these two together.  Is there a chance for a happily ever after?

Kissing Father Christmas is well-written and easy to read.  The book has good characters and a beautiful setting (I want to live in Carlton Heath).  I liked Anna’s creativity (she is an artist who wants to create children’s books).  I recommend reading Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas (they are available in one book) before reading Kissing Father Christmas (otherwise you will be confused).  I give Kissing Father Christmas 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  It is a sweet and romantic novel (though it does have an expected ending).  We get updates on Miranda, Ian, Andrew, and Katherine.  Kissing Father Christmas is great way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon.  You can snuggle up in a chair with a blanket, your favorite beverage and some chocolate.

I am off to eat dinner and continue working on our Christmas trees (I will get done before Christmas). I am currently reading Iced Under by Barbara Ross.  I hope all of you have a nice, relaxing evening.  I will see you tomorrow when I review More Than a Promise by Amy Lillard.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris 

The Avid Reader 

Days Like These

Welcome, fellow readers!  I hope everyone has had an enjoyable Sunday.  My daughter came over this afternoon for Sunday dinner. She was sweet enough to pick up dinner so I did not have to cook (always a treat).  Isn't it nice when someone does something special and unexpected for you?

Days Like These is the latest novel by author Sue Margolis.  Judy Devlin lost her husband, Brian to pancreatic cancer eighteen months ago.  Judy has not been able to move on since his death (still has Brian’s clothes in her closet).  Nicaragua recently suffered a devastating earthquake and badly needs doctors. When her daughter, Abby and son-in-law Tom ask if Judy will watch her two grandchildren while they are gone, and Judy agrees.  Abby and Tom are volunteering with MediGlobal and must agree to a six-week commitment (you just know that they will end up staying longer). Judy has watched her grandchildren on weekends, but this will be very different.  Judy is soon swept up into getting the kids off to school and their many after school (and weekend) activities.  In addition, Judy has her mother, Frieda living with her.  Frieda is a hypochondriac with excellent health for a woman her age (70s).  Taking care of her grandkid’s gets Judy out of the house and meeting new people.  Judy makes friends with Ginny, another grandmother with grandchildren at the private school the kids attend and makes an enemy of Claudia Connell (she thinks she knows everything about childrearing).  Then Judy meets Mike, Claudia’s father.   Is Judy ready for a new love interest?  Join Judy as she starts a new life without her husband in Days Like These.

Days Like These was satisfactory.  It is basically a romance novel in the end.  It starts out as Judy needing to overcome her grief, but, in the end, it read like every other romance novel I have ever read (and I have read hundreds of them).  The couple find each other, fall in love, have argument, break apart, and then get together in the end. Judy has to cope with her grandchildren arguing, crying, and needing transportation to their various activities (I am eternally grateful my daughter is grown up).  The children at the school are from rich families.  The parents and the kids all have attitudes (and cliques).  There are also the normal bullies.  I give Days Like These 2.5 out of 5 stars.  In order to enjoy a story, a reader needs to like the characters.  I was not fond of any of the people presented in this book.  The writing is okay and the book, for the most part, has a good pace.  There are slow parts and areas with the kids arguing that I skimmed through (arguing children is not pleasant).  This is a British novel so be aware that there are British terms and slang that we, as Americans, will not be familiar with.  I was hoping for a fun, humorous novel to read, but I was not laughing at the situations presented in the story.  

Thank you so much for visiting.  I am currently reading The Queen's Accomplice by Susan Elia Macneal.  It came out in October, but I could not fit it into my schedule until now.  I am off to relax for the evening. Tonight I will be watching The Librarian's and The Sound of Christmas (on Hallmark Movie & Mysteries Channel) with Robin Dunne and Lindy Booth (who also stars in The Librarian's).  May all of you have a delightful yet relaxing night.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

Happy Holidays!  I hope all of you have had an enjoyable Saturday. The clock is quickly counting down to Christmas.  If you are like me, you still have items on your Christmas "to do" list. I do not see decorations getting up outside this year.  Today I am featuring Julie Klassen (click on her name to find her other novels).  She writes lovely Christian, historical romance novels.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen is the first book in Tales from Ivy Hill.  Jane Bell has been widowed for one year.   She has been in a type of slumber (or stupor) and has not done anything about the coaching inn, The Bell, she inherited from her husband (much to her mother-in-law’s dismay).  Thora Bell, Jane’s mother-in-law, went to live with her sister, Diana after her son passed away.  But the life of leisure is not suited to her.  Thora misses running the inn and when she receives a letter from the housekeeper about the sad state of the place, she returns to Ivy Hill (Wiltshire, England) for a “visit”.  Walter Talbot, who ran the inn during Thora’s reign, left when his brother passed away and he inherited the family farm.  Patrick, Thora’s younger son, returned to the inn a month and a half prior after hearing about his brother’s death (he seems dubious).  Mr. Bloomfield, the local banker, visits stating that John Bell took out a loan of 15,000 pounds and it is now due (he has waited a year to tell Jane about this loan).  Jane was unaware of the debt and has no way to repay it.  Business at The Bell has tapered off since John’s death (along with Talbot and Thora’s leaving) and the installation of the new turnpike.  Jane only has three months to prove that she can make The Bell profitable, or the bank will sell it.   Jane cannot let the inn be sold.  It will mean a loss of income for so many people in their village.  Jane sets out to turn The Bell around and prove that she has what it takes to run it.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill is a good story, but it is a little slow in places.  It is set in 1820 in a small village in England.  I liked the characters and the lovely setting.  I enjoyed watching Jane change (develop) as the novel progressed.  We also get to see adjustments in Thora and her beliefs about marriage.  Thora and her two suitors are prominent in The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill (I could not fit everything into the summary).  I give The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill 4 out of 5 stars.  The book is well-written and Ms. Klassen does a great job at capturing the time period.  The novel has romance (of course) and a mystery.  It was interesting to read about a coaching inn and the part they played in a village and with travelers.  We are left with Jane’s story unfinished, and readers will have to wait for the next installment of Tales from Ivy Hill. If you enjoy historical romance novels, I recommend  The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill.  I will be reading the next book in Tales from Ivy Hill.

I am off to work on one of the Christmas tree's (the lights take me forever to do) and then watch A Nutcracker Christmas on the Hallmark Channel. May all of you have an enjoyable night.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

A Killer Closet

Happy Friday!  I hope all of you have had an enjoyable day.  I was delighting in the cool weather by snuggling with a blanket and a book.  I also took the opportunity to bake some sugar cookies for my mother (she loves them with icing on top).  Our smallest dog, Tuxxe (Chihuahua) really dislikes the cold weather (it's only in the 60s).  He was huddled under covers all day (he refuses to wear a sweater).  

A Killer Closet is a cozy mystery by Paula Paul.  Irene Seligman is returning to her hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Her mother, Adelle Daniels needs her assistance after the death of her latest husband (Irene is not sure if it was husband number five or six).  Adelle was left with penniless (she goes through money likes its water) and guilted Irene into coming home (otherwise Irene preferred to stay in Manhattan as an assistant district attorney).  Irene is not licensed to practice law in New Mexico, so she decides to open Irene’s Closet. It will be an upscale consignment boutique (carry designer labels).  Irene’s Closet opens with a bang when a body is discovered in the storage room.  The victim is Loraine Sellers, a friend of Adelle’s.  Police Chief Andy Iglesias is on the case and is interested in getting to know Irene.  The murder turns out to be good for business until another body is left in the shop.  The second victim is Susanna Delgado and another friend of Adelle’s.  Irene is worried that her mother may be next (even though she is a pain in the tuchis), and she starts delving into the victims lives.  But the killer is close behind Irene and prepared to act.  Will the door to Irene’s Closet snap shut before the shop has a chance to take off?

A Killer Closet is easy to read and can be finished in a couple of hours.  I did, though, find it to be a very implausible novel (Irene’s actions were illogical).  I would think that an attorney in her 30s would think rationally.  Irene jumps to conclusions, acts irrationally, and does not act her age (she is also rude to someone that goes out of his way to be nice and helpful).  There are few clues provided to the mystery, but it can easily be solved (it can be figured out quite early in the book).  There is an extreme amount of foul language in the book for a cozy mystery (and it was not needed).  The story is told from various character point-of-views towards the end which is confusing (and does nothing to enhance the story).  I wish the author had told it from the third person point-of-view or from Irene’s perspective (keep it consistent).  I give A Killer Closet 2 out of 5 stars.  The mother, Adelle, was an extremely unlikable character.  You know you do not enjoy a character when you keep hoping they will be the next victim.   I found some information repeated a few times throughout the book (like it was filler) and there are other inconsistencies.  I felt that A Killer Closet needed some major rewriting and a good editor.  A Killer Closet was not my type of cozy mystery.

Thank you so much for visiting!  I will be reviewing The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen tomorrow.  Have a safe and warm evening. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

The Pattern Artist

Cool weather has returned for a few days to my area.  It is such a nice change from the 80 degree weather we have experiencing (those of you with snow would probably appreciate it).  I apologize in advance for the long review today.  It was hard to summarize The Pattern Artist.  I edited my review three times and this is as short as I could get it!

The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser shows how one young woman can make her dreams come true.  It is 1911 and Annie Wood has traveled to New York City with her employers, Lady Newley and her daughter, Henrietta.  Annie is employed as an upper housemaid in the Newley home in Summerfield.  Annie has traveled with them to assist the lady’s maids, Miss Miller and the younger Miss Dougard.  It turns out that neither lady’s maid has any sewing ability (I am curious how they ever got their positions).  Annie believes that when Miss Miller retires, she will get a promotion to lady’s maid.  She has been working towards that goal since she joined the Newley household.  The group is staying with the Friesen’s.  Mrs. Friesen is a distant cousin of Viscount Newley.  Annie meets Iris and Danny Dalking in the house and they soon become fast friends.  One day Danny must run an errand and gets time off for Iris and Annie.  Annie gets her first look at Macy’s and a sewing machine.  When Annie finds out that the lady’s maids have been taking credit for her sewing work, she decides to stay in America.  Annie, Iris, and Danny sneak away one day from the Friesen’s to start pursuing their dreams.  Before Annie departs the Friesen household, she gets a little revenge on Oscar Grasston, a footman, who has made her visit unpleasant (he is a letch).  Annie has no idea what she has set in motion with this one act.  Unfortunately, the threesome get off to a bad start when their money is stolen from them.  After spending a night on the street, they wander into the Tuttle’s bakery. The Tuttle’s take them in, provide them with a place to sleep and employment.  Iris gets to look after the Tuttle’s five younger children (they have seven children), Danny gets to make deliveries with the wagon (he wanted to work outside), and Annie is put to washing pots (lucky girl).  After two days of doing pots, Annie decides to find a job that will utilize her strengths.  Annie goes to Macy’s and gets a job in the ladies’ department.  Annie soon excels at helping ladies pick the right fabrics, trims, and patterns.  This is just the beginning for Annie. 

The Pattern Artist is a well-written Christian novel that will capture and hold the reader’s attention.   The book is easy to read with a good pace.  The Pattern Artist has a strong main character (my favorite type) and a good theme.  It teaches us that a person should just be themselves (do not try to be like others).  We each have a unique purpose and if we listen close enough, God will guide us.  The Pattern Artist has suspense with the Oscar Grasston storyline.  It will have you on the edge of your seat.  I give The Pattern Artist 4.5 out of 5 stars (I more than liked it).  The book is a little heavy on prayer in a few sections, otherwise the religious aspect is light throughout the novel.  There is also the requisite romance.  The dresses, fabrics, trims and hats described in the book sound beautiful.  I liked how the book touched on the Reform Dress Movement.  I do not blame women for wanting to discard corsets and hobble skirts (which were impossible to walk in).  It was fascinating to find out more about the Butterick company.  I had no idea that they had stores for patterns at one time in London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna.  If you enjoy historical novels, I hope you will read The Pattern Artist.  I look forward to reading books by Nancy Moser in the future.  

I am off to finish up a few chores before my shows come on at 8 p.m.  I am currently reading Frontline Angel by Genevieve Jordayne.  I sincerely hope all of you have a lovely evening.  Take care, stay warm and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader