ANOTHER OF MY REVIEWS HAS BEEN ADDED TO AUTHOR DEEANNE GIST'S WEBSITE!

Deeanne Gist has added my review of Maid to Match to her website!

REVIEW: MAID TO MATCH ~ DEEANNE GIST

Tilly Reese was raised to become a Lady’s Maid – the highest position a woman could reach professionally, other than Housekeeper. Tilly's mother spent many years and many resources training her to one day be able to be chosen as Lady’s Maid for some wealthy lady. The position would secure a life of comfort, travel and a significant salary increase, meaning Tilly would be able to help provide for her family. When Tilly is placed on a shortlist to become Lady’s Maid for the wealthy Mrs Vanderbilt, her mother is ecstatic even though becoming a Lady’s Maid would mean giving up the possibility of marriage and motherhood. For 18 year old Tilly this is a sacrifice she is willing to make… until she meets Mack Danver.

Mack Danver is a mountain man forced to place his younger siblings with foster families when he can no longer financially afford to raise them himself. His only sister, however, is sent to an orphanage in North Carolina instead of a foster family. When Mack suspects the children at the orphanage are being abused, he needs to raise funds quickly in order to get Ora Lou out of the orphanage and set her up on her own. His twin brother is also employed at the Biltmore Estate, as footman. When Mrs Vanderbilt realizes that the handsome Earl Danver has a handsome twin brother, she jumps at the chance to offer him a position at the estate - not superficial at all, but handsome twins in one’s service is quite the coupe de grace for the wealthy.

A position at the Biltmore Estate comes with a very attractive salary, and eager to get Ora Lou out of the orphanage Mack accepts the offer intending to leave the estate and head back to his beloved mountains as soon as he can. Then he meets Tilly Reese. Mack and Tilly are instantly drawn to one another. While Mack makes no secret of his intentions, Tilly fights their attraction every step of the way. She knows she can’t be distracted by a man so close to accomplishing her goal of becoming a Lady’s Maid. Tilly even goes out of her way to avoid Mack, but then she is enlisted to tame his wild ways and coach him in proper servant etiquette. Forced to spend time together, and then jointly discovering a hideous scandal at the town orphanage, Tilly and Mack’s romance blooms in spite of Tilly’s efforts to keep him at arm’s length.

When his goal is within reach and Mack’s time at Biltmore Estate draws to a close, with the realization of Tilly’s lifelong dream close enough to touch, her mother’s dreams resting heavily on her shoulders, can Mack and Tilly find a way to be together, or will the realities of life push them apart?

Maid to Match is another gem in the Deeanne Gist collection. I was hooked in the first chapter, and kept reading faster and faster to discover what happens next, and to reach the point where Tilly finally stops fighting her feelings for Mack. The tension in their relationship was perfectly paced and beautifully done.

The complications Tilly and Mack face are believable, and even though you as reader believe that Tilly and Mack will eventually find their happily ever after, the obstacles they face are so real that you can’t help but fear that life might get in the way. A suspenseful romance is always fun to read, because the moments of happiness and joy are that much more precious.

Deeanne Gist is quite simply a master of romance. Her books are all lovely, sweet, funny, feel-good, grab-you-by-the-heart-reads. Her characters are real, deep, emotionally driven and her plot lines are flawlessly built on foundations of faith. What’s not to love? Maid to Match is a must read for all romantics and history lovers alike!

Product information:

Title: Maid To Match

Author: Deeanne Gist

Number of pages: 368

Publisher: Bethany House

Year: 2010

ISBN-10: 0764208063 

One of the reasons I was able to enjoy a story about servants, is that I adored the Vanderbilts, the Master and Mistress of the Biltmore Estate. They are such kind and loving characters, and treat their staff with respect. You can imagine my joy at discovering in the author’s note that George and Edith Vanderbilt truly existed! As did their gorgeous estate in Asheville, North Carolina! This Estate is still in the Vanderbilt family, and is still the largest, privately owned home in America.

Biltmore Estate

 

What a breathtakingly beautiful Estate! Can you imagine living there?! What made the Vanderbilts so extraordinary is the fact that when George Vanderbilt built his estate, he took extra care to also prepare lovely servant quarters, unheard of at the time! The Vanderbilt’s servants had windows, electricity, central heating and running water. He also bought brand new furniture for his servants. George and Edith were truly ahead of their time in their treatment of their servants, and in Maid to Match one gets a glimpse of their extraordinary lives.


George & Edith Vanderbilt 1912

I love when the lines of fact and fiction meet, and no author does it better than Deeanne Gist.

NOW READING: MAID TO MATCH ~ DEEANNE GIST

I've been wanting to read Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist for quite some time now.    The only reason I've been putting it off, was that I wasn't convinced that a book about maids would capture my attention.  Knowing Dee, I should have known better.  I'm only a few pages in, and already I'm fascinated by the world she has created, and in love with the characters.  I simply adore Deeanne's books!  She does historical romance very well, and manages to concoct beautiful love stories without the need to cross the boundaries of propriety at every turn.  Maid to Match is quite the fan favourite having won many awards, and has also just been nominated for a RITA, the Oscars of romance writers!  See all the awards this wonderful author has been nominated for and/or won here. 

Falling in Love Could Cost Her Everything.

From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled by the riches of the Vanderbilts, and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in proper servant etiquette, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. After all, the one rule of the house is no romance below stairs.

But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs, their aspirations... and their hearts ~ Deeanne Gist's Website.

MY REVIEW HAS BEEN ADDED TO AUTHOR DEEANNE GIST'S WEBSITE!

As previously mentioned, Deeanne Gist, author of Love on the Line (amongst others) undertook to add my review to her website, and she did! 


The link to the review on my blog has now been added to Deeanne Gist's website!

What an honour! :)

REVIEW: LOVE ON THE LINE ~ DEEANNE GIST

Deeanne Gist is quite obviously an author who clearly loves what she does. Every single page of her beautiful work is lovingly written and utterly enjoyable.


I first came to know Deeanne from reading A bride in the bargain, which you mightl recall I adored. I have since also read Beguiled and A bride most begruding, and Deeanne has become one of my favourite authors. Reading Deeanne's books is a completely effortless process. Your eyes swim across the pages at record speed, and before you know it you're halfway through. Her characters are always well rounded, intriguing, witty and brave, her plot lines are unpredictable and final pages always leave you wanting more. What I love most about Deeanne's books, though, is the crash courses she cleverly weaves into her stories. In A bride in the bargain I learned all about logging and the fascinating Mercer brides debacle, In Beguiled I learned about journalism, antiques and robberies, and even a little about dog walking, and in A bride most begruding I learned about the tabacco brides, tabacco farming and the Indian massacre of 1622.


Love on the Line is no exception. It taught me of bird watching and conservation, the work of telephone operators and troublemen in the early 1900's, and most fascinating, a little something about Texas Rangers and train robbers. I've always loved cowboys and crooks, so I thoroughly enjoyed the core of this story.

Texas Ranger Lucious Landrum is sent to Brenham, Texas to infiltrate the most notorious gang of train robbers. The Comer Gang, under leadership of Frank Comer, has cleverly presented themselves to the public as honourable thieves, seemingly stealing from the rich to give to the poor, and as a result always manages to escape justice. The only problem is that the gang is much more mean spirited and dangerous than the public believes, and Lucious is set the seemingly impossible task of trying to protect the townfolk of Brenham from men they don't want to be protected from.


Having one final opportunity to bring the Comer gang in before another Texas Ranger takes over his case, a desperate Lucious goes undercover as telephone installer and repairman, Luke Palmer. Using his days working the lines to scope the town, and befriending the townfolk to determine who is part of Comer's gang, Luke soon begins narrowing down the list of suspects. Luke thought this job would be easy; What he didn't bargain on was discovering that some of the men simply got involved in a situation they can't get out of, and coming to care about some of the men he would have to arrest... or falling in love with Georgie Gail, the independent, stubborn switchboard operator who hates his guts.


Georgie Gail prides herself on her success and independence in a man's world, and is furious when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder. Armed with her resentment Georgie tries to show Luke who's boss, but Luke turns out to be every bit as stubborn as Georgie herself. The friction of a clash of wills soon creates a spark, and Georgie and Luke start to fall in love despite themselves.


When Georgie accidentally discovers that Luke is more than he claims, Luke is forced to trust Georgie and reveal his true identity and purpose for being in Brenham. When her involvement with Luke places Georgie directly in the path of the deadly Comer gang, Luke realises that a lot more than his job is on the line.


Love on the line is a very enjoyable read. You'll cringe one moment, laugh the next, and then be so angry you can't stand to read further; but of course you will. Deeanne Gist will capture your imagination as well as your heart.

Product information:

Title: Love On The Line

Author: Deeanne Gist

Number of pages: 368

Publisher: Bethany House

Year: 2011

ISBN-10: 0764209493 

Author Deeanne Gist read my blog!

Exciting news, friends! Deeanne Gist actually read my mini review slash recommendation of her book A Bride in the Bargain, and commented on it on Twitter! How cool is that?!

@NastassjaLoots Awww, thanks for the post, Nastassja. I'm glad you enjoyed the book!less than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyDeeanne Gist DeeanneGist

I love authors who interact with their fans, so now I love Ms Gist even more. You can follow her on Twitter @DeeanneGist.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE MONTH 3: A BRIDE IN THE BARGAIN - DEEANNE GIST

So it's been a while since I've written anything, but I come bearing a gift. A wonderful book that will stay with you long after you've read the final page. My recommendation of the month is a really lovely book called A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist. FYI, this is her daughter on the cover!

Now, in case you haven’t noticed by now, I am going to point out a little fact about me: I’m completely obsessed with historical novels! History has always fascinated me, and I love reading about times gone by… even when it’s fictional!

A Bride in the Bargain is set in 1860’s Seattle, where men are multiple and women are scarce. It’s a little timberland, you see, and a man with a wife could claim 640 acres of land for free. Enter Joe Denton, a hard working logger in danger of losing his land because he does not have a wife. Desperate, Joe reluctantly decides to order one of the highly anticipated Mercer Brides. (I did some research folks, and the Mercer Bride debacle really happened!) A man named Asa Mercer travelled from Seattle to the East to recruit young women as brides for local settlers. The only problem is that Anna Ivey, Joe’s chosen “bride” signed on to become a cook, not a wife! (This Mercer fella didn't care how he got the ladies on the ship, as long as they got to Seattle) Anna is handed over to Joe, but unwilling to marry a man she doesn’t love Anna stubbornly refuses to wed him, jeopardizing his last possible attempt at saving his land, his business and the jobs of many locals. With only a few short months before a final ruling is made, can Joe convince Anna to marry him?

I love every single page of this book! I love the characters and their chemistry, I love Joe's attempts at wooing a most reluctant Anna, I love their Christian faith which makes them strong, I love the history lesson about the Mercer Brides, I love the crash course in logging and the vacation I got to take in 1860’s Seattle. What I love most, though, is this book's total unpredictability! Deeanne Gist is a wonderfully gifted writer who knows how to weave a story, and kept me guessing (and I kept guessing wrong!) until the very end… and even then she manages to pull the rug out from under you with very unexpected events, and even more unexpected outcomes. Nothing in this book turns out like you imagined. It turns out even better!

For the Romantic Heart this book is a must read! Even for the Less Romantic Heart - I can guarantee this book will make your heart smile!

Enjoy!

P.S. You're welcome