19th century
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Patrick’s Journey by Roy T Humphreys
Based on the true story of an Irish rebel around the turn of the 18th century Patrick’s Journey contains an uplifting message of redemption merged into its adventure / romance theme. Readers will follow Patrick as he is torn from his life’s love and homeland then transported to a penal colony on the other side of the world. Against the odds, Patrick emerges from despair to resurrect his life and love in a new land.
Patrick’s Journey could be described as simply an entertaining “romance / adventure” novel, but the story goes deeper than that. The “Journey” in the story is twofold; there is the physical journey from one mode of existence in Ireland to a completely different one in Australia and the emotional/spiritual journey that accompanies such drastic changes in Patrick’s world. Innocent Minds (The Innocents Mystery Series Book 5) by C.A. Asbrey
After suffering a horrific loss, Nat and Abi must try to piece their lives together, build a future, and repair the past. But before they can figure out their own complicated relationship, they must unite to help Jake find his children—no easy task, since their mother has disappeared, and they’ve been left with a priest who is bent on giving them away!
In a maelstrom of grief, anger, and legal complications, one of Abi’s friends, Dr. Vida Cadwallader, also a female Pinkerton, steps up to help. As Vida tries to help The Innocents make sense of what’s happening, she soon becomes embroiled in mysterious happenings within the brutal insane asylum where she consults part-time. When one of her colleagues is murdered, Vida quickly becomes a suspect.
With no time to lose, Vida, Abi, Jake, and Nat band together to free one of the asylum’s unwilling patients who may hold the key to all their unanswered questions—if she only lives long enough to survive the escape. Now, with an unknown murderer on the loose as well, time is running short for them to find the children, solve the crime, and spirit the patient away to safety. Can they keep their necks out of the noose and buy enough time to solve the mystery shrouding their lives? Can anyone make sense of this world of shadows, darkness, and madness? Apathy & Vigor by Faye Hall
Will the love of a woman save him from his own apathy?
Tristen Brone lived a carefree life of wealth and passion…until it all came crashing down around him. The night Tristen’s best friend died in a fire, Tristen tried to save him, but he failed. Not only did Jacob die, but Tristen is left with scars that make him feel like a monster. There are those in town who think Tristen is responsible for starting the fire, which includes Jacob’s sister, the woman Tristen is in love with. The once confident, handsome, young man is now on a downward spiral of sorrow and depression.
Soon after Amalie Fergus lost her brother in a fire, her father died and their family properties were repossessed. She had nothing left and no one to turn to. When she took a job as a maid for a wealthy gentleman she never expected that he would try to force himself on her, or that she would now be on the run for his murder.
Running from the scene of the crime, Amalie collides with a man from her past who offers to keep her safe from the police on one condition—she return to Tristen and steal some property papers from him.
When Amalie shows up at Tristen’s doorstep, begging him to take her in, he’s suspicious. Despite their passionate past, and the feelings he still has for her, all he can think about is how quickly she abandoned him. So why has she come back into his life after all these months?
With the two former lovers reunited, it becomes obvious that the passion between them is still smoldering, but can they overcome everything that stands in their way, and will they ever discover who is responsible for the fire that changed their lives forever?
The Frost of Springtime by Rachel L. Demeter
To rescue her was to rescue his own soul.
On a cold Parisian night, Vicomte Aleksender de Lefèvre forges an everlasting bond with a broken girl during her darkest hour, saving her from a life of abuse and misery. Tormented by his own demons, he finds his first bit of solace in sheltering little Sofia Rose.
But when Aleksender is drawn away by the Franco-Prussian war, the seasons pass. And in that long year, his Sofia matures into a stunning young woman—a dancer with an understanding of devotion and redemption far surpassing her age.
Alongside his closest friend, Aleksender returns home to find that “home” is gone, replaced by revolution, bloodshed, betrayal—and a love always out of reach. Scarred both inside and out, he’s thrust into a world of sensuality and violence—a world in which all his hours have now grown dark, and where only Sofia might bring an end to the winter in his heart.
Inspired by the 1871 Paris Commune, The Frost of Springtime is a poignant tale of revolution, redemption, and the healing power of love.
Of Moths and Butterflies by V.R. Christensen
Archer Hamilton is a collector of rare and beautiful insects. Gina Shaw is a servant in his house. Out of place in so low a position, she becomes a source of fascination. A girl with a blighted past, Gina has lowered herself in order to find escape from her family and their scheming designs. All she wants is the freedom to live her life as she would wish. All her aunts want is the money she has inherited. An arranged marriage might turn out profitable for more parties than one. Mr. Hamilton is about to make the acquisition of a lifetime. But will the price be worth it?
