The Sheepish Scribe

Grace's Pictures by Cindy Thomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grace McCaffery passes through Ellis Island, a reluctant and frightened young woman from Ireland. She finds much more on the shores of New York than she dreamed of. Some of it good... and some of it not so good. But through it all, she finds what she needs most.

An interesting look into the life of an Irish immigrant at the turn of the 20th century in New York. Cindy Thompson does a wonderful job of painting the scene with colorful characters and drag tenements.

The Cat Lady's Secret by Linda Yezak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I reserve 5-star ratings for books that are so good I think I'll read them again. This is one of them! Love the characters in this story. They are plucky and sassy, the kind of people you want to invite to a backyard BBQ. I love a well-rounded story with personable secondary characters as well as interesting main characters. The Cat Lady's Secret delivers!

Emily Taylor returns to her hometown after ten years. But she doesn't feel at home. Secrets have built a wall around her heart. Scott Barlow was too timid in high school to ask Emily out. Since she's returned, he's found his courage but she's turned him down every time. Lots of questions need answers. Who is Millie? Who is setting houses on fire? Who is writing large checks?

You'll have to read the book to find out!

Beloved by Robin Lee Hatcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Picked off the orphan train and raised by the kindly Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, Diana Brennen is swept off her feet by handsome and wealthy Tyson Applegate. No more than a pawn in the game of frustrating his father, Tyson abandons Diana and travels the world, only to disappear on the battlefield in far off Cuba.

The day before the courts will declare Tyson Applegate legally dead, and the day before Diana will announce her engagement to Brook Calhoun, Tyson walks in on her dinner party.

He claims to be changed. She vows she will not be used again. His father hates her. Her mother distrusts him. An orphan boy, a stray cat, and a scraggly dog round out a household in chaos. Only God can bring order and calm to the Applegates.

Engaging characters and interesting story. There are multiple flashbacks to the past which,while they fill in background, I found occasionally hard to follow in the beginning. Hang with it though, it comes together well in the end.

The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful story from Elizabeth Camden! She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Michael Dobrescu brought his family from Romania to the United States to start a new life in the house his uncle left to him in his will. A house now lived in by Professor Sawyer his daughter Libby. Both men claim ownership.

Libby finds herself attracted to the handsome Romanian in spite of the animosity between him and her father. And his two young sons capture her heart from the start. But love is out of the question for Libby Sawyer, even with a foreigner who doesn't know her shameful secret.

Love the characters in this story. I was drawn to them immediately and had to keep the pages turning to see what would happen next. I highly recommend this one!

Duel for the Crown: Affirmed, Alydar, and Racing’s Greatest Rivalry by Linda Carroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alydar is my very most favoritest racehorse of all time. Why? Because I loved watching him battle on and never give up. And because he was more handsome than Affirmed. (And no, you're not going to change my opinion on that.)

So I had to read this book. HAD TO READ IT. And it was well worth the time. As with most books about racehorses - it really isn't. It's about the breeders and owners of the horses. But that's okay, because without them, we wouldn't have the horse.

The first half of the book is about the ancestors of the two horses, Affirmed and Alydar, and the people who owned them. It's good reading if you love horse racing. It might be a little dry if you don't.

The second half of the book is about the greatest rivalry in sports. The dueling 3-year-old colts who captivated a nation in 1978. The lean, elegant colt from the wrong side of the tracks versus the big, burly colt with a pedigree beyond compare and their humans. Fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the rivalry. Even though I've loved this story for years, I gained some new perspective of the horses and the people around them. But - all this new knowledge notwithstanding - Alydar is still my favoritest racehorse ever. ;)

A Place in His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A heart-tugging story of love and sacrifice. Mary Langton marries widower Barnabus Horton knowing he doesn't love her. He wants a mother for his two young boys and makes her no promises of love. But she loves him and is willing to be the wife he needs, even if it means never being the wife he loves. She follows him across the ocean to the New World of America, leaving her family behind, still hoping that one day he'll grow to love her.

This story spans ten years and the underlying story - which is subtle - is the persecution of the Puritans by the Anglican Church, which led to thousands of Puritans sailing for the New World. The era is well portrayed and the dialog reflective of time. I enjoyed that historical aspect very much.

The characters are real and likable, well suited to both the era and the story. I was surprised at the end to learn that the characters were real! The story is fictitious, but the characters are from the author's family tree. How fun is that?!