Books Are Sanity!!!

Book Summary: What begins as a pleasant holiday with a new friend in Brighton quickly turns to devastation for Anabelle Milton when she receives the tragic news: her parents are dead. Turned out of the only home she’s ever known, Anabelle is sent to live with an aunt and uncle who are strangers to her. Heartbroken, she arrives at Bellingham Cottage, a cozy home on the sprawling grounds of the Bellingham estate, to find an unexpectedly warm welcome—not only from her own family but also from the family of their aristocratic neighbors, Lord and Lady Bellingham. Anabelle soon attracts the attention of the heirs of Bellingham—brothers who, though connected by blood, could not be more different. As she slowly begins to distance herself from the polite and obedient young woman her mother trained her to be, Anabelle is free for the first time to choose her own path. She knows she must be true to herself, even if it means risking unrequited lo...

  Book Summary: LIVE LIFE DELICIOUSLY: Recipes for busy weekdays & leisurely weekends  by Tara Teaspoon  Cookbook Synopsis:    IN TARA’S FIRST COOKBOOK, she shares more than 120 delicious showstopping recipes that are designed to impress and gather people together around food. From leisurely weekend brunches spent over burrata with grilled peaches and orange zest chimichurri to easy weeknight rice bowls with carrot-ginger dressing to a mouthwatering cherry crostata, Tara explains how to put together and master several special go-to dishes with global flavors to add to your repertoire.   Tara’s takes on classic recipes plus her innovative entertaining ideas and helpful tips are designed to encourage cooks to enjoy their time in the kitchen and incorporate new flavors, ingredients, and comforting-but-elevated meal ideas into their everyday cooking.   Live Life Deliciously with Tara Teaspoon  shows foodies, both serious and casual, how to present...

Book Summary: As war tears her country apart, Franca Chessari's sole focus is on supporting her family amid Nazi occupation. But when her parents, both high-ranking partisans, go missing, Franca is compelled to take action---even if it means crossing enemy lines to save those she loves.  Peter Weimer is a German soldier forced into a war he abhors. When he can take no more of the Nazi atrocities he’s been forced to witness, he deserts the German army—a decision that brands him as an enemy.  Franca and Peter were nothing more than two strangers from enemy countries, but when their paths collide amid the horrors of war, they are swept into an epic journey of chilling danger, unparalleled courage, and a sweeping passion that could cost them everything they have fought for. My Review: I absolutely loved this World War II forbidden love story. Sanchez includes the perspective of both Franca and Peter and it broadened the story for me. Franca was such an endearing c...

Book Summary: Florence Prescott and her family live in fear of her father’s vicious outbursts. Lord Prescott rules his household with a cruel and violent hand, and when one of his drunken rages leads to the abuse of Florence’s beloved younger brother, Florence boldly confronts her father—and pays the price for her insolence. Broken and hopeless, Florence feels like a prisoner in her own life. As a former stablehand for the Prescotts, Evan Avery is all too familiar with the vicious nature of his old master . . . and the gentle kindness of Florence and her younger brother. Desperate to save his friends, Evan boldly returns to the estate to help them escape. Though Lady Prescott refuses rescue, Evan successfully spirits Florence and her brother away to his family’s farm. There, they quite naturally adjust to the rigors and rhythms of farm life as the bond of friendship between Florence and Evan flourishes and soon deepens into romance. But the couple’s happiness is overshadowed when ...

Book Summary: A man changed by war. The woman who loves him. And a secret that could tear them apart. Edward Rutledge, the newly minted Viscount Carlisle, has come back from war a changed man. The echo of the battlefield and the death of his best friend Marcus haunt him to the point that he decides to break his betrothal to Charlotte---the only woman he’s ever loved. When he’s summoned home to Hartwell Manor, he comes face-to-face with her. Slowly, her strength and love make him see that he might be able to reclaim what he thought was lost. But when word reaches him that Marcus might not have died in Spain and yet lives, Edward will do anything to bring his friend home. As the mystery deepens, however, Edward is drawn into an intrigue that forces him to confront the demons that have plagued him since he returned to England. Will he have to sacrifice everything he’s built with Charlotte in order to keep her safe? My Review: The Viscount's Vow is a regency novel with a ...

Book Summary: Bailey is back. Maverick thought he was over her. But neither can deny the feelings that will always be there. Bailey has made mistakes, so many she doesn't think she'll really ever forgive herself. But her daughter deserves the kind of life Bailey had growing up. When she shows up on her parents' doorstep back to her hometown, the one person she isn't ready to see is Maverick. But will she ever be able to face him? The minute Maverick hears Bailey is back, he knows his heart still belongs to her. But what kind of man trusts a woman who left him at the altar? As he grapples with a new daughter that he can't help but wish was his, all the responsibilities of running his family's ranch, and the hurt he feels about Bailey's betrayal, he finds new love and hope not only with her but with God.  As soon as God is a part of the equation, the sweetness they find is better than they ever had. Just maybe this second chance around is God's...

Book Summary: Had fate and nature not conspired, Alyce Redgrave would have been a child of wealth and privilege. But the night of her birth was shadowed by an eerie Devils Moon and her christening day marred by a fierce hailstorm—ill omens that led the superstitious peasants to seek Alyce's life. Desperate to save her infant daughter, Alyce's mother flees with her baby, finding shelter and goodwill at the isolated farm of strangers . . .  There, Alyce's life is filled with secrets, unanswered questions, and a sense of foreboding. Her worst fears are realized when she narrowly escapes the clutches of a murderer by fleeing into the forest. Fate steps in once more to change the course of her life when Alyce is found and taken in by Elspeth, a wise woman with the uncanny ability to commune with nature. Trained by Elspeth in the art of healing, Alyce remains haunted by the puzzle of her past until she discovers her mother's lost pendant. With the help of this obj...