Noela reviews A LADY UNRIVALED by Roseanna M. White

A Lady Unrivaled

A Lady Unrivaled (Ladies of the Manor, Book #3)

by Roseanna M. White

Bethany House Publishers (September 13, 2016)

Reviewed by Noela Nancarrow

5 Stars *****

Ushering the charming and picturesque Cotswolds of England into the mind’s eye, Roseanna M. White pens yet another exquisite masterpiece of Edwardian romance and suspense with the backdrop of England’s beautiful countryside. Rivalling the allure of the scenic landscapes are characters so enchanting and genuine, you can’t help but wish you knew them personally.

Tenacious and kind-hearted, Lady Ella Myerston determines to liberate her loved ones from the supposed curse of the Fire Eyes—the priceless red diamonds that have brought nothing but trauma and tragedy into their lives in the past. But even as she schemes to seize the diamonds to draw the danger away from her family and the Duke and Duchess of Stafford with whom she’s visiting, plans are set in motion by evil in the form of a wealthy Russian to seize the jewels.

Stafford’s cousin, the widowed Lord Cayton, has no choice but to go along with a ploy to acquire the Fire Eyes when his precious infant daughter and the beautiful, carefree Lady Ella are threatened. Unfortunately for him, this plan involves him courting Ella as a means to get the diamonds. Cayton is captivated with Ella but believes he’d only bring her heartache, so he must guard his heart. However, while this relationship is meant to keep everyone safe, they each wonder which amorous moments shared are genuine and which are purely for the sake of performance. And when Ella becomes a target of the enemy’s affection along with the diamonds, can Cayton possibly save both?

A Lady Unrivaled is a sublime, gratifying conclusion to an extraordinary series! Silent spies, ominous threats, and hair-raising suspense rival a romance that rips with sparks, chemistry, and brilliant wit showcased in dialogue that leaves you greedy for more. Opposites in personality, Ella and Cayton regularly bounce off each other with entertaining banter—like the recurring argument about the true color of her hair. I adored the fun, impetuous, and optimistic Ella, who frequently tries to goad Cayton to be more cheerful. Even with the laughs that this tale inspires, there’s also a poignant thread on grief that’s beautifully encouraging. This is a favorite of mine this year!

 *Although this can be read as a stand-alone book, I would recommend reading the first two highly-acclaimed books 'The Lost Heiress' and 'The Reluctant Duchess' for a greater understanding and appreciation of all the wonderful characters in this series.*

'A Lady Unrivaled' can be found at these places and others for purchase: AMAZON; CBD; B&N

GIVEAWAY: We're giving away a copy of Roseanna's new release this week. Leave a comment to enter!! Be sure to add your email for contact purposes should you win. (US only)

Carla Olson Gade -- Overcoming Grief

In my novella "Proving Up” in The Homestead Brides Collection, my hero and heroine each have experiences with grief. Elsa has lost her husband and her loss propels her into action. Although she is lonely, she will not forsake his dream and lose the homestead that they have worked so hard to keep. She also has a younger brother and brother-in-law she is responsible for and wishes to see educated.

Nils’ grief is a different sort. It is an unrelenting longing for an absent wife who abandoned life on the prairie, leaving him with unresolved heartache. His solution is to continue to cultivate his claim in the hopes that someday he will be rewarded with her love and companionship. When he is confronted with the permanence of his unrealized hope, grief ensues again.

Elsa and Nils’s circumstances are vastly different from one another, but as they develop a relationship an empathetic bond is formed. It is God’s providence that they become friends, especially in such a time and place where people were so isolated. Homesteads were miles from one another and communities were just beginning to develop. But isn’t that how grief is, isolating?

At least that is how I have felt over the past several years. Just a year ago on Valentine’s Day, I buried my father and only three years before that my step-father died from the same disease. During my life I have also experienced the grief of lost relationships, a type of grieving for the living. That too is a severe loss, not comparable to death, but a death of a relationship nonetheless.

At first my grief felt very isolating. Like I was on my own remote homestead miles away from anyone who understood what I was feeling or going through. That feeling of isolation added to my grief.

The isolation was like the broken blade of a prairie windmill. A windmill that once produced energy, suddenly halted.

Last year I attended a grief support group at my church called GriefShare. One thing that I learned that really helped me was the acknowledgement that each loss is unique because our relationship to that person is unique. How true that is. My own personal grief was different than others because of the unique dynamics of my own relationship with my lost loved one. But although my grieving is unique, it needn’t isolate me, unless I let it.

Along with grief comes change. But adapting to that change and accepting that things are now different makes the loss more real, and therefore, we are sometimes resistant to it. We refuse to repair the broken blade through acceptance because it is too painful. Yet in reality, the winds of acceptance allow us to heal. Grief takes its own time, but we needn’t bear it alone. When we allow others to share in our experience of loss, we discover life again.

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Have you experienced a season of grief? Did you find yourself pulling away from others or reaching out?

Author Carla Olson Gade

“Proving Up” by Carla Olson Gade from The Homestead Brides Collection (Barbour)

Swedeberg, Nebraska, 1886
A young Swedish widow applies her scientific theories to growing trees on the barren Great Plains intruding on a handsome homesteader’s hard work and experience. Will their dreams come to ruin or will love prove their success?

The Homestead Brides Collection can be ordered here: http://tinyurl.com/provingup

Native New Englander Carla Olson Gade writes adventures of the heart with historical roots from her home amid the rustic landscapes of Maine. With seven books in print, she is always imaging more stories and enjoys bringing her tales to life with historically authentic settings and characters. An avid reader, amateur genealogist, photographer, and house plan hobbyist, Carla’s great love (next to her family) is historical research. Though you might find her tromping around an abandoned homestead, an old fort, or interviewing a docent at a historical museum, it’s easier to connect with her online at carlaolsongade.com.

https://www.facebook.com/CarlaOlsonGade
http://carlaolsongade.com


GIVEAWAY:  I’m giving away one copy of The Homestead Brides Collection autographed by all nine contributing authors. To enter please leave a comment.

Interview with Pamela S. Thibodeaux - Coping with the Loss of a Spouse

Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Pamela S. Thibodeaux, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. It's been nice getting to know you over at Pelican Book Group!

Thank you so much for having me visit today! I absolutely love sharing my testimonies (yes, God has blessed me so abundantly I have more than one).

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help? Answer: 

When I look back over my life and all of the things I’ve overcome…insecurity, shyness, abuse, low self esteem, financial hardship…the most difficult thing I’ve had to deal with and overcome is grief over the death of my husband. We all lose things we love (people, pets, jobs, homes, etc.) and I’m no different. But his death was the hardest thing I’ve endured to date. I’ve often said it is a pain I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Alas, God is faithful and although I’ll miss my husband and carry him with me forever, I am now looking forward to the future with a new love.

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times?

For a long time after my husband passed away I couldn’t even pray. So I created a mantra: I don’t understand, Lord, but I trust you. This got me through the worst part, then, Jeremiah 29:11 was brought to my remembrance and has since become my favorite Scripture… “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 

No books in audio but all are available for E-reader which enable the reader to increase the font size. My Tempered series, The Visionary, Circles of Fate, and Love is a Rose, is printed in trade paperback with 12 pt. font which is larger print than most mass market books.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  

Not in my latest work, Circles of Fate. However my novel Tempered Dreams deals with domestic violence and the healing process the heroine must undergo and The Visionary deals with healing of adult survivors of child abuse. I also have a devotional titled, Love is a Rose that parallels God’s love and the Christian life to The Rose song lyrics.

Question you’d like to ask readers:

What does it take for you to try a new or previously unheard of author? Is it the cover or back blurb on the book, content, reviews….What?

 

Circle of Fate by Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Title: Circles of Fate

Blurb: Set at the tail end of the Vietnam War era, Circles of Fate takes the reader from Fort Benning, Georgia to Thibodaux, Louisiana. A romantic saga, this gripping novel covers nearly twenty years in the lives of Shaunna Chatman and Todd Jameson. Constantly thrown together and torn apart by fate, the two are repeatedly forced to choose between love and duty, right and wrong, standing on faith or succumbing to the world’s viewpoint on life, love, marriage and fidelity. With intriguing twists and turns, fate brings together a cast of characters whose lives will forever be entwined. Through it all is the hand of God as He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Purchase Links:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/13b6qCG

Print: http://amzn.to/1zfEzNH

Create Space: http://bit.ly/1qRN3cb

Nook: http://bit.ly/1ySeQqJ

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1wA6DsH

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/136qK7n

Title: Love is a Rose (NF Devotional)

Blurb: Music is the magical entry into the spirit world; the golden gate into the Kingdom of God. But we mustn’t be of the mindset that God only uses Christian music to reach out and touch our mind, heart and spirit. God uses any and every means available to speak to His children.

Our job is to be open and receptive.

In this devotional, Pamela S Thibodeaux shares how God opened her spirit to a deeper understanding of the abundance of His grace and mercy through the words of the song, The Rose sung by Country & Western artist Conway Twitty.

Pamela offers Seeds to Ponder and a prayer as she parallels the love of God and the Christian life to each verse of the song

Purchase Links:

Print @ Amazon http://amzn.to/1naYIRr

Kindle http://amzn.to/1vI1v43

Print @ B&N http://bit.ly/1dIShux

Nook http://bit.ly/1cbEEZc  

Smashwords http://bit.ly/16vCHl4   

Deeper Shopping http://bit.ly/1cxivVf

Title: Tempered Dreams (book 2 in Tempered series)

Blurb: Dr. Scott Hensley (introduced in Tempered Hearts) has built a wall around his heart since the death of his wife and parents.  Katrina Simmons is recovering from scars inflicted on her as a battered wife.  Can dreams be renewed and faith strengthened?  Can they find joy and peace in God’s love and in love for one another? 

Purchase Links:

Kindle http://amzn.to/1vJEqjk

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1q4Q8hV

Nook http://bit.ly/1b1jrNu

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/13l0LK4

Smashwords http://bit.ly/173ypSN

Title: The Visionary

Blurb: A visionary is someone who sees into the future Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique” Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s disturbingly prevalent in today’s society.  Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives?

Purchase Links:

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1uROE2o

Kindle http://amzn.to/1s23QYv

Print @Create Space: http://bit.ly/1lNvyWD  

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1h9Yhlw

Nook http://bit.ly/1h9Yhlw

Smashwords http://bit.ly/167J9So

Deeper Shopping http://bit.ly/19lw1Kc  

Author bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Links:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment for a chance to win any of Pamela's books (international winners, ebook only.)