Enchanting Nicholette- Everstone Chronicles Novella

In this captivating novella by Dawn Crandall, Nicholette Everstone is already a widow at the age of twenty-two: her husband was murdered on their wedding day. She has just returned to Boston after two years of mourning in Europe. Although her husband was loving, the marriage was an arranged one, and Nicholette would like to wed again--this time for love...and to someone safe

As she acclimates to life in Back Bay again, Nicholette meets someone she can't help but fall for. But when she learns of the danger and sacrifices Cal Hawthorne takes on for the safety of others, will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears of "what if" at bay?

Published October 9th 2018 

by Whitaker House

My Thoughts:

I became invested in Everstone Chronicles with the first book I read.  So, when I found out Dawn Crandall was writing a novella I knew I had to read it.  Needless to say I was not disappointed.  

This story centers around Nicholette Everstone, a young woman who was widowed on her wedding day.  In true "Crandall Style" I was immediately swept back to Boston 1893 where the story captures both time and place.  This young, woman intrigued me and made me want to get to know her better.  She is young, beautiful, and wealthy, but she is also so much more.  At her return everyone is encouraging marriage, but she wonders just how and where she will fit into society.  Yes, she would like to marry and have children, but at the same time she has unresolved feeling about her arranged marriage to William.  I like how the author makes this character feel real by showing her turmoil and grief with real and raw emotions.  

For me, this was a truly wonderful story.  I liked all the characters and revisiting characters from the previous books in the series.  There were elements of romantic tension, mystery, twists and turns, love, grief and faith which is perfect in a story for me.  

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves romance or historical fiction. 

*I received this book from the author via the publisher.  I was not expected to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Available for Purchase:

AMAZON  BARNES & NOBLE  CHRISTIANBOOK

The Everstone Chronicles #4

In 2014 I picked up a new book, The Hesitant Heiress, by Dawn Crandall.  

I was drawn to the beautiful cover and the blurb drew my attention, but in no way was  I prepared for the beautiful story I encountered.  Needless to say when I found out this was the first book of a series I started anxiously awaiting the next book.  With each book's release I became more invested in this series.  The author along with Whitaker House has released the fourth book in the series.   

 

Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks; but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance; Vance Everstone. As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind.

 Published October 4th 2016

 by Whitaker House

Available for Purchase:

AMAZON   BARNES & NOBLE   CHRISTIANBOOK  

BOOKS-A-MILLION 

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it.  

 ~ Mark Twain

 My Thoughts:

Wow!!

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book, the fourth in the Everstone Chronicles. 

I loved the book cover, but it only gives a hint at the wonderful story it contains. 

I was immediately swept to the wilds of Northern Maine during 1892, the Gilded Age.

Violet Hawthorne is a beautiful, young woman who has suffered the loss of not only her parents, but also her family home.  Ezra, her brother,  made changes to their home that tainted everything that touched it.  She obtained a job at Everstone, a winter retreat for hunters, and moved out of her beloved family home.  She is disappointed in his actions and decisions since their parents' deaths, but when he is takes part in an attack on her she looses what trust in him she had.  

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things become new."
~Corinthians 5:17 

Vance Everstone is not only the family black sheep, but also has a reputation as a bad boy.  Vance knows that a lot of the stories are inflated, but the very basics are true.  He's made the decision to turn his life around, but in order to do that he must first face his past mistakes. 

Vance has turned his life over to God and is trying to walk the path God wants him to travel.  Unfortunately when an Violet, an acquaintance, as been attacked his well meaning actions lead to his making a marriage proposal and the adventure begins. 

I was immediately drawn into the story from the first page.  There was something about Violet that just drew me in.  She is in circumstances beyond her control, but she is a strong woman and depends upon her faith and trust in God to see her through.  I really liked Vance also.  Yes, he's been a bit of a bad boy and has that image, but when he turned his life over to God he becomes a changed man.  Between the engaging characters and the wonderful plot I kept turning the pages until the very last one.  I was completely absorbed in this story.  My only complaint is that it ended.(sigh)
 This is a book and series that I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good story.  
**I received this book from the author via the publisher for free.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Giveaway:

 Dawn Crandall is having a giveaway. 
She is offering the chance for two people to win one of the prizes.  
She is offering in both prizes
-a copy of The Cautious Maiden in paperback
-KJ Version Study Bible
-either a Trust or Wisdom Tea Set

Hop over the Rafflecopter for the giveaway:
The Cautious Maiden Giveaway 


Meet the Author:



 
A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming published, he let her quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a  mom to a precious little boys (born March 2014 and June 2016) and also serves with her husband in a premarriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.
The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.
Connect Online:

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The Everstone Chronicles

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, disappearing before her very eyes. Now, the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: Marry within the year to inherit the immense fortune of her estranged grandmother. Amaryllis reluctantly moves in to her aunt's Boston home and rubs shoulders with fashionable society. Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself quickly falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, the envy of every eligible female, whose father has haunted her dreams for the decade following her mother's tragic death. However, Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems...and everything she never knew she wanted. But can she ever really trust an Everstone man?

 

 Whitaker House and Dawn Crandall originally released this series in  2014 as an e-book, but with so much acclaim and requests for a print version they decided to issue a print versions which was released starting Sept. 8, 2015. 

The Hesitant Heiress is the first book in the Everstone Chronicles series which is set in the 1890's among New England's upper crust.  

The beautiful cover gives us a hint at the incredible story it contains. 

We are introduced to Amaryllis Bingham, an emotionally scarred woman who exudes much strength and depth. With the loss of her mother at age 14 her very soul has been riddled with guilt and unanswered questions. She feels undeserving of love and happiness.  

Nathan Everstone fell in love with a picture of a young woman while in Washington, but the real life woman is more than he expected in every way. Nathan is handsome and one of the most eligible bachelors in the area and born to wealth, but he come to the realization that there's more to life than money. Unfortunately the one woman he wants shows him nothing but disdain. 

 Dawn Crandall brings us a beautifully written romance that takes us on an emotional journey.  I love for a story that will reach out and touch many emotions which this one accomplished. The storyline flows effortlessly. The author exposes her in depth research through her vivid imagery and well developed characters which pulls the reader in and keeps them turning the pages. I always look for a message in each book I read and the message I received from this book is one of faith.  Each one of us can envision what we want out lives to look like, but honestly does it ever truly turn out the way we thought it would. Usually it doesn't or if it does we have traveled many mountains and valleys to get where we are going.  We always need faith that God will lead, guide and direct our path. 

Goodreads is having a giveaway until Sept. 29, 2015:

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/151636-the-hesitant-heiress 

Dawn Crandall is also doing a Raffelcopter giveaway.  Head on over to her blog is you would like to enter:

 http://dawncrandall.blogspot.com/2015/09/rafflecopter-giveaway-for-5-paperback.html

A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010. That is the year she shared with her husband her long-time dream of writing books. He encouraged her to quit her job and to pursue her passion to write stories. Apart from writing books, Dawn also recently became a mother—she and her husband were blessed with a baby boy in March 2014. She also serves with her husband in a premarriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.              

Dawn is a member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

http://www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com/

 https://twitter.com/dawnwritesfirst

http://www.pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst

http://www.facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst

Everstone Chronicles #3

Published by Whitaker House

5 Stars

I am happy to announce that the 3rd installment of the Everstone Chronicles was released on April 1, 2015.  I became invested in this series with the first book at page one.  Even with the latest release being part of a series I still think this is a stand alone story. 

Let me give you a brief description of the story:

Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she'd always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn't like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can't refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can't deny the pull that's evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she's been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she's with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she's Estella Everstone? She's not entirely sure.  

My opinion is that Dawn Crandall has done it again and written a beautiful, historical romance. From page one the I was immediately pulled into the story by the wonderful characters.  The beautiful imagery sweeps you away to the mountains of Maine, but the engaging storyline will kept me turning the pages. As Elle and Dexter navigate from friendship to romance I swept along with them. This is a story about faith, forgiveness and trust.  

Rumors and speculation have run wild about heiress Estella Everstone, but will the truth finally come out?  If her family has anything to say about it, no.  Elle just wants to be loved and cherished for her true self.  Looking back, she  sees that she has made mistakes and assumptions that she shouldn't have, but you can't change the past.  You can only move forward, which she is trying to do.  She likes living under an assumed name because it gives her the comfort of being her true self without judgment or expectations. Elle is a beautiful, young woman full of grace and compassion, but is also hiding a lifetime full a hurts.

Dexter Blakeley is a handsome, young gentleman who also has endured a lifetime of hurts also, but bears it well.  He has taken on responsibilities without shirking a duty or complaining.  He now owns and runs a beautiful hotel that he absolutely loves. Meeting Elle makes him realize his life is lacking something and if he had to put his finger on what that was; it would be purpose. 

I loved this story and I would recommend it to anyone. 

I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author for a honest opinion without bias as stated above.  Thoughts and opinions are mine alone. 

Blog Tour

Let me introduce you to Dawn Crandall

Dawn Crandall writes long inspirational historical romantic suspense. She has a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University and lives in northeast Indiana with her ever-supportive husband, her three cats [Lilly, Pumpkin and Clover] and their newest addition, a little baby boy.



http://dawncrandall.blogspot.com/

http://pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst/

http://facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst

http://www.twitter.com/dawnwritesfirst



The Bound Heart

The Bound Heart

The Everstone Chronicles Book 2

5 Stars

"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

Psalms 34:18 NKJV

Book Description:

One accidental kiss. That was all it took to throw Meredyth Summercourt's world upside-down. Determined to marry the ever-elusive Vance Everstone, she simply doesn't have the time or the desire to fall for her friend Lawry Hampton. However, with Vance out of the country and Lawry constantly at her side, Meredyth can’t help but wonder if what’s holding her to Vance is nothing more than a desire to redeem herself from their unfortunate past.

When Vance comes home to stake his claim on Meredyth, will she be strong enough to break free from the tangled web she’s convinced she deserves? Or will she find the strength to accept that God’s plan for her life could include redemption... and quite possibly the love of her best-friend?

My Review:

Dawn Crandall brings us a historical romance set in Boston during 1891,  The story comes to life through vivid imagery and the amazing ability to weave words together by the author.  The well developed characters give you a glimpse of their heart and soul through real to life dialogue that details family and relationship concerns.  I loved Meredyth Summercourt  and she touched my heart in a special way.  She made an error in judgment and mistake young in life, but has let it define her as a person until Lawry Hampton gives her a glimpse of herself through his eyes.  This is a story of trust, betrayal, courage and a crisis of faith.

This is the second book in The Everstone Chronicles series, but it's an easily stand alone story.  Ms. Crandall's debut book was The Hesitant Heiress which was the first of this series and I can see both growth and maturity in her writing.  I would recommend this book to anyone.  I become invested in this series and look forward to the 3rd installment, The Captive Imposter, is set to be released in Feb. 2015.

I was give this book by the author for a honest and unbiased review as stated above.

Meet the Author:

A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Connect with Dawn:

http://www.facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst

http://apassionforpages.blogspot.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst

mailto:dawncrandallwritesfirst@gmail.com

https://twitter.com/dawnwritesfirst



The Hesitant Heiress

The Everstone Chronicles

Publisher: Whitaker House

5 Stars

Book Description:

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.

My Review:

Dawn Crandall brings us a beautifully written romance that takes us on an emotional journey.  We are introduced to Amaryllis Bingham, an emotionally scarred woman who exudes much strength and depth.  With the loss of her mother at age 14 her very soul has been riddled with guilt and unanswered questions.  She feels undeserving of love and happiness. 

Nathan Everstone fell in love with a picture of a young woman while in Washington, but the real life woman is more than he expected in every way.  Nathan is handsome and one of the most eligible bachelors in the area.  Unfortunately the one woman he wants shows him nothing but disdain. 

I love for a story that will reach out and touch many emotions which this one accomplished.  The storyline flows effortlessly.  The author exposes her in depth research through her vivid imagery and well developed characters which pulls the reader in and keeps them turning the pages. 

I am anxiously awaiting the release of her next book The Bound Heart, the second installment in this series. 

Meet the Author:

Dawn Crandall writes long inspirational historical romantic suspense. She has a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University and lives in northeast Indiana with her ever-supportive husband, her three cats [Lilly, Pumpkin and Clover] and their newest addition, a little baby boy. 

http://www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com/


http://facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst


http://www.twitter.com/dawnwritesfirst


http://www.pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst