Favorites of 2016: Historical

I've been inspired by several blogs I follow to make a "Best of 2016" post. But I quickly ran into a problem. Of the 197 books I read last year, 74 of them were ones I rated 5 stars! How do you narrow that down?! I bit the bullet and got it down to 37, but that still seemed like too many for one blog post. So I've divided my favorites up by genre and I'll be sharing them in four separate posts: historical, contemporary, novellas, and series. 

Here are the amazing historical novels I read in 2016 in no particular order. I highly recommend all of them and they are all ones I plan to re-read again in the future!

A Captain for Laura Rose by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 Doing No Harm by Carla Kelly

Amazon - Goodreads

Dawn at Emberwilde by Sarah E. Ladd

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

The Express Rider's Lady by Stacy Henrie

 Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 The Moses Chronicles: Deliverance by H. B. Moore

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 Willowkeep by Julie Daines

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 So Rare a Gift by Amber Lynn Perry

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 A Place for Miss Snow by Jennifer Moore

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

The Governess by Kristen McKendry

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

What were your favorite historical novels that you read in 2016?

Review: To Warm a Wintered Heart by Deborah M. Hathaway

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Paperback available for purchase at the author's website

Synopsis

After an uneventful season in Bath, Miss Charlotte Rosebury returns home to Warwickshire, looking forward to a visit from her mother’s friend. Their expected guest, Mrs. Worthington, has promised that her son will be accompanying her, and as Charlotte has only ever heard stories of the gentleman who rarely leaves his Yorkshire estate, she is most pleased to meet him. However, when her warm welcome is returned with a fierce frown from the handsome man, she cannot help but long to be free of him and his blue-eyed glare.

Despite his mother’s protests, Mr. Gabriel Worthington had made the decision long ago to remain unmarried, but when he meets Charlotte, doubts about his decision creep into his fearful mind, and he wishes for nothing more than to flee from the woman and never return.

For weeks, the two are forced to live within the same home, and though they provoke one another with teasing and stolen glances, an unlikely friendship blossoms between them, a friendship that grows stronger than either of them had expected. Will Gabriel concede to the choices binding his heart, or can Charlotte’s warmth be just the thing to strengthen their love and, at last, end their fears?

My Review

I've found a new author to follow! I'm a fan of Regency romances so I loved the setting and the details of the time period which enhanced but didn't overshadow the story. It actually had tones of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with the negative first encounter of the main characters, and the somewhat formal language transported me to the era but couldn't hide the story's foundation of heart and emotion and a light dash of humor.

Charlotte and Gabriel had a rough start with the assumptions he made of her and misunderstandings that ensued, but once they became more friendly it was fun seeing their attraction grow even thought they tried to fight their feelings. There are several great scenes with high romantic tension and swoon-worthy kissing :)
The rude insinuations from various socialites to Charlotte's face was a bit overkill and made them seem like caricatures, but it did showcase her wit in gracefully handling the cattiness.

The theme of overcoming fear of loss and allowing love and happiness in Gabriel's life brought depth to the story as he struggles with his growing attachment to Charlotte. She was extremely kind for giving him chance after chance, but she also didn't let him get away with his unsociable attitude which was refreshing. They had an interesting dynamic that shifted throughout the book and kept me glued to the pages. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Deborah M. Hathaway!

(I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher; all opinions in this review are my own)

Cover Reveal & Giveaway! The Rise of Miss Notley by Rachael Anderson

 

The Rise of Miss Notley by Rachael Anderson 

To escape an undesirable match, Miss Notley must give up her riches for rags. When Miss Coralynn Notley’s father barters her off to the first titled gentleman to come along, she realizes she must flee her home or be forced to wed a despicable man. Driven by desperation, she applies for the position of housekeeper at Tanglewood Manor, the home of the handsome Mr. Jonathan Ludlow. The moment Jonathan sees Miss Notley, he is intrigued. She is far too young and inexperienced for the position, yet there is something about her that that inspires a certain hope within him. Does he dare offer her the position of housekeeper or will doing so result in catastrophe? The Rise of Miss Notley is the delightful tale of a mysterious gentleman and a determined young woman, caught together in a web so tangled it begs the question: Will they ever get out?

Coming February 2017

 

Author Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website - Facebook

 

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 1/25/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Comfy Cozy Giveaway Hop! Enter to win Dawn at Emberwilde by Sarah E. Ladd

This is my favorite reading weather! There's nothing more cozy than a soft blanket, a hot cup of raspberry herbal tea, and a good book! I've picked one of my favorites to give away, Dawn at Emberwilde by Sarah E. Ladd. It was a pleasure to be immersed in the English countryside with a bit of intrigue and romance.  

Read my 5 star review here! 

Enter in the Giveaway Tools widget below for a chance to win a print copy of 

 Dawn at Emberwilde! Thank you to Stuck in Books for hosting the giveaway hop!

Synopsis

Isabel Creston never dared to dream that love could be hers. Now, at the edge of a forest filled with dark secrets, she faces a fateful choice between love and duty.

For as long as she can remember, beautiful and free-spirited Isabel has strained against the rules and rigidity of the Fellsworth School in the rolling English countryside. No longer a student, Isabel set her sights on a steady yet unexciting role as a teacher at the school, a safe yet stifling establishment that would provide her a steady environment to care for her younger sister Lizzie, who was left in her care after her father’s death.

The unexpected arrival of a striking stranger with news of unknown relatives turns Isabel’s small, predictable world upside down, sweeping her and her young charge into a labyrinth of intrigue and hidden motives.

At her new family’s invitation, Isabel and Lizzie relocate to Emberwilde, a sprawling estate adjacent to a vast, mysterious wood rife with mysterious rumors and ominous folklore—along with whispers of something far more sinister. And perhaps even more startling, two handsome men begin pursuing Isabel, forcing her to learn the delicate dance between attraction, the intricate rules of courtship, and the hopes of her heart.

At Emberwilde, Isabel will discover that the key to unlocking the mystery of her past may also open the door to her future and security. But first she must find it—in the depths of Emberwilde Forest.

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