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Friday, February 7, 2020

The Liberty Bride Book Reviewed

Daughters of the Mayflower - Book 6 in the Series

I've never found a series of books that I enjoyed more than the Daughters of the Mayflower series.

Every book is based on the life of one of the female descendants of a married couple from the Mayflower ship. Each descendant plays a part in a pivotal moment in American history.

Just as each book has a different main character, each book is written by a different author. Together, these books make a magnificent historical fiction series.

In The Liberty Bride, Emeline Baratt is sailing home to America after the death of her aunt in Brighton. Unfortunately, that voyage is during the War of 1812, which is fought between America and the United Kingdom.

Her allegiance to America is greatly tested when the unthinkable happens.

The Liberty Bride

1814 Baltimore - The War of 1812 (Jun 18, 1812 – Feb 18, 1815)

The Liberty Bride
Daughters of the Mayflower - Book 6Check PriceIn spite of the ongoing war between America and Britain, Emeline's father has sent his best ship, under the command of his most experienced captain, to bring his daughter safely home from the United Kingdom. However, even a privateer ship is vulnerable to capture in wartime. They are simply no competition to a heavily armed warship.

Emeline, the captain and his crew are taken captive when they are attacked by a Royal Navy frigate, the HMS Marauder. Being a prisoner on a warship and being forced to work for the enemy is not something anyone would desire. But, there is obviously an even greater danger for a female.

Realizing her perilous plight, and with the encouragement of her companion, Emeline makes the decision to tell the Captain of the Marauder that she is in fact a British loyalist following her father's demands to return to America. She convinces everyone, including the crew from the American ship, that her loyalties lie with Britain. As such, she is given tremendous freedom onboard the Marauder. She hopes to be able to gain military plans and information that she could somehow pass along to American commanders. What she doesn't realize is that there is already an American spy onboard and she has just make an enemy of a much needed ally.

More about The Daughters of the Mayflower Series

If you have read my previous reviews on books in this series, you already know these books are not only historical fiction, but they all have romance woven throughout the pages. However, in the case of Emeline Baratt, she has no desire to marry, which is the basis of her conflict with her father. She would prefer that men stop pursuing her and her dowry. She wishes to be an artist, not a wife tied to a home and domestic chores. I very much enjoyed the way the author, Mary Lu Tyndall, developed a romantic plot in The Liberty Bride.

Previously Reviewed Book from the Daughters of the Mayflower Series

The Mayflower Bride Book 1 Reviewed

True American History woven into the fabric of fiction! An excellent historical romantic fiction about the Mayflower voyagers: Separatists & Strangers.

The Pirate Bride Book Review

At the innocent age of 12, Maribel Cordoba's life changes forever. Her formative years & education are guided by nuns, but she never truly forgets the pirate who stole her heart.

The Captured Bride Book Review

An unlikely team is assigned a mission that is fraught with danger. It becomes necessary to trust a previously perceived enemy. I highly recommend this historical Christian fiction.

The Patriot Bride Book Reviewed

After enduring several life tragedies, this wealthy young widow finds the strength & needed alliance to serve the patriots as a messenger. Highly recommended!

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The Liberty Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - Book 6 Reviewed by:

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Thursday, February 6, 2020

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl - Book Review

Read an Excerpt

Every extraordinary book has that moment when you fall irrevocably in love with it. For me, that oh-I-just-love-this-so-much moment in Catherine Ryan Hyde's Brave Girl, Quiet Girl came from the mouth of a babe. You can pretty much count on a two-year-old to get right to the heart of the matter and Etta doesn't disappoint. When she whispers brave girl, quiet girl to her trembling rescuer, the story is made... the book's soul is revealed... and this reader was completely smitten.

Because you can follow links to the official book synopsis, I won't spend time rehashing what you can discover for yourself. Let me just give you the broad strokes and then cut to the chase. After all, that's what I want in a review—not so much facts, as the alchemy of what makes for an unforgettable reading experience.

I have already mentioned Etta. If you ask me, this amazing toddler is the pivot upon which everything turns. As the story begins, Etta is ripped away from her family in the course of a carjacking. Her mother, Brooke, is desperate to find her baby, but the odds are stacked against a safe return.

And then there is Molly, a cast-off teen, living on the mean streets of L.A. after being discarded by her rigid, unaccepting parents. It is so perfectly fitting that a child who has lost all sense of worthiness is the one who comes to find, and protect, Etta after the jackers abandon her in the dark of night.

Despite the bleak circumstances that embrace both Brooke and Molly (or, I'm now thinking it is because of that bleakness), the broken pieces of two psyches will discover a way to fit together in perfectly imperfect ways to form a new sense of acceptance, belonging, and family.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is ultimately the story of how the light gets in through the broken places to illuminate the beauty that was formerly hidden within the bleakness. I've come to the recognition, after reading a majority of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books, that one of her many gifts as a writer is something I can only compare to the Japanese aesthetic known as wabi-sabi.

The thing I find so appealing about this aesthetic, especially as it applies to CRH's consistent approach to bringing together beautifully flawed people, is how the imperfection causes me to love them more. Just as the Japanese do, the author highlights rather than hides the flaws. In her skillful hands, the flaw becomes the work of art.

Just as wabi-sabi features that which is authentic, and acknowledges that nothing is finished, so too do we see that in this book's work-in-progress characters. We experience them in their raw state of becoming. It makes them entirely relatable and, in my case, made me feel great empathy for their plights.

Finally, I was deeply struck by how the homeless in this story viewed those who sought to help them. It made me reflect on my current relationships with those who are without a home. Why is help offered? When is help not at all helpful? What is the best way to reach out to those in need? How do they define the need?

Those who appreciate the humanity at the center of Catherine Ryan Hyde's writing are sure to find much to love, just as I did, in Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. I knew I could count on coming away from this read with a feeling of greater compassion—not only toward Brooke, and Molly, and Bodhi—but also for my own flawed self.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl releases on May 19, 2020. I received an Advanced Reader Copy (e-galley) from NetGalley in return for my honest review. I highly recommend this book and encourage you to pick up your copy today.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Not All Sunscreens Are Equal - Looking for A Friendly Product - My Review

Sunscreens are necessary, but make sure you are buying the right one! Not all are created equally! My Review!

It's the beginning of February and depending on where you call home, you just might be getting a little antsy for some warmer and more hospitable climates. I know I will be. So along with heading to the south, I need to think about my wonderful other half, who is very prone to getting sun burnt.

Being a natural red-head, his skin is typically prone to burning under the rays of the sun. We have already had a few bouts of melanoma and don't want to have any more of that. So in order for him and me to enjoy the sun, we are fully committed to sunscreen for our health and well being.

Now, did you know that not all sunscreens are created equally? On another trip south, we were going snorkeling off the coast of Mexico. Our tour guides took one look at our sunscreen and would not allow us to use it. Why not, you might ask? Here we were out on the ocean, sun shining down on us and no sunscreen protection. Our guides, while sympathetic to our needs, let us in on a secret. Many sunscreens contain chemicals that are really bad for the ocean environment.

We were left with no choice. Thank goodness that day just happened to cloud over enough that we were not left looking like overdone pieces of bacon.

This year we again are headed to the south. We are going to Hawaii and planning on doing some Island hopping. Needless to say, sunscreen was on our minds again.

Travelling by air nowadays, makes you follow certain safety regulations. We are not allowed to bring lotions/liquids that contain more than 100 mls. If you do, they will be confiscated at your boarding location. So now we are looking for a sunscreen that is eco-friendly and comes in a size that is acceptable for all safety regulations.

Thank goodness for the Internet and Amazon. First we did as search on acceptable sunscreens. We love Mother Nature and don't want to add unwanted chemicals to our water. So a search on the Internet led us to several brands of sunscreen that do no harm to the oceans. Then we ordered from Amazon and now two days before our trip, we have what we need. Two tubes of sunscreen with less than 100 mls in each tube.

One tube of sunscreen for my other half and one for me and our bags are packed. There will be no sunburns on this vacation, just good memories waiting to be made. And with an SPF of 50, we should be able to do lots of walking, swimming, and just soaking up the sunshine without worry. Now that makes for a happy holiday.

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Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Furnace Filters By Filtrete Reviewed

Looking For Hard To Find Furnace Filters?

Do you have trouble finding the size of furnace filter that you need? Let me review some possibilities that you might not have thought of. Recently, I have been on a quest to find the right size of filter required for my Dad's furnace. Let me tell you, I was beginning to think it might be an impossible task!

Fireplaces don't require furnace filters
image courtesy of pixabay.com

I visited every single big box store in my area looking for the size that I needed. First of all, it is amazing at how many sizes they did carry but none of them had the size that Dad's furnace requires. I would find ones that were close but not quite the right measurements. Now, just like with a lot of things in life, close only counts in the game of horseshoes. To say that I was beginning to get frustrated would be putting it mildly. I mean, come on, it isn't like Dad has a furnace that is rare. It is a well known brand for goodness sake!

A Light Bulb Moment in My Search

About the time that I decided that if nothing else, I was going to take the vacuum sweeper and try to clean the existing filter my brain cells kicked and the proverbial light came on in the gray matter of my head. "Why don't you look to see if they can be purchased online, Bev?" said that little voice that only I can hear.

Sure enough, when I searched on my favorite website for ordering things that I need; the filters that I have spent a month looking for were there. For goodness sake, why didn't I think to look there first? It would have saved me time in the car, gas and a whole lot of frustration if I had.

Anyway, my point this morning is; if you have a furnace filter that seems to be a less than standard size; take a look online. I'll just bet that you will be able to find the one you need. The bonus is, it can be delivered right to your door. There is a possibility that you might need to order more than one. The size I needed came in a package of six. I couldn't seem to purchase just one. Actually, that turns out to be a bonus in my mind, too. Now, I'll have extras and will be ready when it is time to change the filter in the future. That isn't such a bad thing, now is it?

Filtrete Furnace Filters

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Monday, February 3, 2020

Reviewing the Honbay Convertible Sectional Sofa

When furnishing a living space your first thought might not be to shop Amazon. It sure wasn't my first thought. That is the last place I would have considered shopping for a sofa before now. But I ended up purchasing the Honbay Convertible Sectional Sofa through Amazon Prime and it turned out to be a great decision in several ways.

Reviewing this sectional sofa from Amazon.

My son recently moved to the area and was in the process of setting up short-term living arrangements in a small apartment. My youngest son and I wanted to give him a sofa. Small living space translates to small furniture. We searched nearly every furniture store in the Baltimore metro area to find a compact, inexpensive sofa that would fit the space and be easy to handle during his next move.

Every local small sofa on sale was nearly $400 and included approximately a $100 delivery fee. And some deliveries were scheduled for weeks out.

My son suggested Amazon and I was not initially agreeable. We chose the Honbay Convertible Sectional Sofa and I skeptically waited for delivery (expecting to feel regret at the purchase).

He is very pleased with the sofa! I was thrilled that it arrived quickly and with Amazon Prime's free shipping. I know that he really likes the sofa but when asking for the purpose of this review what he likes, he immediately listed:

easy to assemble
sturdy and well-built for the price
tear-resistant linen cloth
excellent size for a small space
seating for 3 adults comfortably

It is currently priced at $319 with no delivery costs - saving us nearly $200! It was delivered as easily as any other Amazon package.

This sofa has been great with the dogs. The cloth is durable - no punctures or rips from those sharp dog toenails. Because of the low price tag, I expected the covering to feel scratchy or cheap. It does not.

The chaise portion can easily be changed to either the right or left side by changing the placement of the ottomon and long cushion.