A little bit about what you'll find reviewed here

A little bit about what you'll find reviewed on this blog: I believe the best books involve characters you wish you could read more about long after the book is finished. Recently, I've been searching for hidden gems from the past. I read mostly fiction, and I'm a bit of a prude. I don't normally enjoy books with sex or excessive language.

Who I am:
I raised two wonderful girls, and I'm super proud of them. I enjoy reading (of course), sewing, cross stitching, photography and writing. I live in the high desert portion of Washington (which I didn't know existed until my husband and I decided to move here) and have really enjoyed my time out here. I am excited to see what God has next in store for my life!

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Christmas at Carnton - Tamera Alexander

This is a prequel for a new series.  From the note at the end of the book, the series is based on the owners of Carnton, John and Carrie McGavock and their children, Hattie and Winder.  The prequel is about two people who end up with jobs at Carnton.

Aletta’s husband has died in the Civil War.  She’s got a baby on the way and a young child to care for.  When she loses her job, she ends up applying for a position at Carnton.  With her baby coming soon, she’s surprised when she ends up with two jobs.

Jake was a sharpshooter but getting wounded has damaged his eyesight.  Now unable to shoot with any accuracy, his commander sends him to Carnton to help out with a Women’s Aide auction.  While he’s there, he’s intrigued by Aletta’s courage and strength and proceeds to pursue her.

Overall, I’ll say this is a good tale, but it hurts me to admit it.  I can’t imagine any woman who truly loves her husband would find herself attracted to another man after only a few months.  Aletta hasn’t even given herself time to grieve, and she’s also got the raging hormones of pregnancy to deal with.  There are times in the story where she flat out says her attraction is her just missing her husband.  The timeline was just disturbing to me, but I have personal memories that color my interpretation, so I don’t think everyone will have the same problem with the story that I do.

I gave this story 4 stars for the writing.  I did like Tempy’s character, as well as the determined spirit of Mrs. Colonel John McGavock. I don’t think many people will have the issues I do with the timeline, and for that, I put aside my personal dislike and evaluated the story as a whole.  If I pretend Aletta actually took time to grieve her husband before falling for another man, the story is actually pretty good.

*I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


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