All Through the Night

 

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, TARA

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT

With her stammering tongue and quiet ways, Cadence Piper has always struggled to be accepted. After the death of her mother, Cadence sets her heart on becoming a nurse, both to erase the stain her brother has left on the family's honor and to find long-sought approval in the eyes of her father. When Dorothea Dix turns her away due to her young age and pretty face, Cadence finds another way to serve...singing to the soldiers in Judiciary Square Hospital. Only one stubborn doctor stand in her way.

Joshua Ivy is an intense man with a compassionate heart for the hurting and downtrodden. The one thing he can't have is an idealistic woman destroying the plans he's so carefully laid. When the chaos of war thrusts Cadence into the middle of his clandestine activities, he must decide if the lives at stake, and his own heart, are worth the risk of letting Cadence inside.

Everything changes when Joshua and Cadence unearth the workings of a secret society so vile, the course of their lives, and the war, could be altered forever. If they fight an enemy they cannot see, will the One who sees all show them the way in the darkest night?

My Review:

Whoa! Call me gobsmacked and find me nursing a major book hangover. I could NOT stop reading (well, listening.) What a captivating story! And Johnson delivered so much more than I expected.

Truth: I'm not a huge fan of Civil War era fiction so I might have actually passed this one by except so many of my reading friends put All Through the Night on their TBR lists for January releases that I caved and gave it a go. What did I have to lose since audible allows returns if I really couldn't get into it. Ha! I couldn't stop listening! And not just because Stephanie Nemeth Parker is a gifted narrator (though she definitely is!) But because Cadence is so compelling.

There's so much depth and grit and soul to her story! And Joshua's too for that matter. They bring out the best -- and worst -- in each other and their developing relationship is a joy to behold. But it's Cadence's struggle to accept herself as a beloved daughter of God that held me spellbound. Her faith journey moved me and I thrilled at the way it played a pivotal role in the overall plot. Just what I love to see in my Christian fiction.

And then there's the way Johnson brings history to life. The medical aspects alone were a marvel to shudder over. And, while the author doesn't shirk from setting the scene, she doesn't go overboard with descriptive gore (in case any squeamish readers might have a concern.) And that vile secret society is something I had never heard of before. I actually looked them up online. Mind-boggling evil. 

So, we have danger, adventure, romance (toe-curls, oh my!) set during one of the most chaotic times in American history. What more can I say? Breath-snatchingly good, that's what! 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of All Through the Night, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday January 23 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck! 

Where Dandelions Bloom

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, TARA
WHERE DANDELIONS BLOOM

Cassie Kendrick is on the run. Her abusive father arranged her marriage to a despicable man, but she's discovered an escape. Disguised as a man, Cassie enlists in the Union Army, taking the name Thomas Turner. On the battlefields of the Civil War, keeping her identity a secret is only the beginning of her problems, especially after she meets Gabriel Avery, a handsome young photographer.

Anxious to make his mark on the world and to erase the darkness and guilt lurking from his past, Gabriel works with renowned photographer Mathew Brady to capture images from the front lines of the war. As Gabriel forges friendships with many of the men he encounters, he wonders what the courageous, unpredictable Thomas Turner is hiding.

Battling betrayal, their own personal demons, and a country torn apart by war, can Cassie and Gabriel learn to forgive themselves and trust their futures to the God who births hope and healing in the darkest places?

My Review:

Definition of a good writer: an author who entices a reader into opening a book she doesn't want to read and then beguiles her to stay in the story until the very end. That's Tara Johnson because I'm so not a fan of Civil War novels and I actually checked out Where Dandelions Bloom from my library twice before I cracked it open.

The first time, I didn't read it and the second time, I picked it up again just before the library closed because of COVID-19. Fast forward two months later and the library is still closed and my TBR pile is dwindling and WDB was suddenly top of the 'pile' (more like a modest mound now) so I took a deep, bracing breath and dived in.

And then I was all "Wwwwhhhaaat?! Why didn't I read this book sooner? This is so gooooooood!!!!!" I'm such a doofus. Sometimes it takes something like a pandemic to nudge a reader like me out of her comfort zone. :-) So now that you know I'm not fond of Civil War stories, rest assured that I am definitely fond of Tara Johnson's magical storytelling abilities!

So many lush layers to dive into! In characterization and plot -- and the historical details are alarmingly realistic (sometimes I had to read with my eyes closed.) It's heart-wrenching and nerve-racking but also faith-infusing. Kudos to the author for incorporating such a significant faith thread into this story. Johnson never preaches but she does testify and I'm the better for having read her words.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Where Dandelions Bloom, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 23  2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Engraved on the Heart

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, TARA
ENGRAVED ON THE HEART

Reluctant debutante Keziah Montgomery lives beneath the weighty expectations of her staunch Confederate family, forced to hide her illness for fear of a scandal. As rumors of war arrive on their doorstep, Keziah sees little cause for balls and courting. Despite her discomfort, she cannot imagine an escape from her familial confines -- until an old schoolmate shows her a life-changing truth that sets her feet on a new path...as a conductor in the Underground Railroad.

Dr. Micah Greyson never hesitates to answer the call of duty, no matter how dangerous, but when the enchanting Keziah waltzes back into his life, his well-ordered plans are turned upside down. Torn between the life he has always known in Savannah and the fight for abolition, Micah struggles to discern God's will amid such turbulent times.

Tensions increase in the Montgomery household as Keziah conceals her Underground affiliation from her nosy Southern belle cousin and overbearing parents determined to marry her off to the wealthiest suitor. As Keziah and Micah face their own battles, they discover some convictions are worth a sacrifice...but as circumstances threaten to keep them apart, they will learn if love is truly strong enough to endure the pain of war.

My Review:

What an amazing debut novel! I'm definitely a Tara Johnson fan now! She catapulted me back in time and wrangled my emotions into a heap of pulsating fury. Gah! Some of these characters....enraged doesn't begin to describe the way I feel! I do so love when I can become emotionally engaged in a story and my passions ran high over the course of this read.

Phew! The things Keziah comes up against! The restrictive role forced upon a woman in this time period for one. Added to that are health concerns that have prompted her family to alternately coddle and berate her. And the threat of an arranged marriage to a shudderingly awful man because, of course, she'd never be able to take care of herself. Ha! The people closest to her have no concept of what really lies in Keziah's heart. No understanding of the courage and grit and phenomenal determination that drives Kizzie to follow God's leading in her life. Which charges her into danger and intrigue and even the arms of a childhood friend.

Returning to Savannah after years of study in Philadelphia makes Dr. Micah Greyson an outsider in his hometown. His views have changed, values sharpened and politically -- well, let's just say that living in the South when war is declared becomes challenging. Micah is a quiet man, drawn to a cause that makes him a traitor in the eyes of his Confederate neighbours.

I've had a fascination with the Underground Railroad since I was a kid and I appreciate Johnson's candor as she presents some unique facets of the Southern perspective that sent chills down my spine. How easy it is to bury common decency in the name of right-fighting fanaticism!

A beautiful inspirational thread brings hope and redemption to a story steeped in turmoil and confusion. And the title tie-in is profoundly beautiful. A truly stunning debut novel!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Engraved on the Heart, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!