Loretta Marchize's Blog, page 5

October 7, 2020

Poetry: When Will I Learn + You Have A Plan

Today I’m going to share three pieces I’ve written over the past year!





[image error]



When will I learn



When it seems like I’ve





Reached the end





No longer can I support myself





I try to hold my head up high





but fall again





Over and over again





When will I learn?





My mistakes multiply, and I return





To find rest in your arms





Saftey in the dark





Security in the night





Love at the worst





When will I learn?





And stop running





From your love





When will I learn?





Nothing I can do





Will save me from the dark





But you return





To call me home





again and again





I find rest in your arms





Time and time again





When I fall





I find rest in your arms





Lord, I’ll run to you





[image error]



You Have A Plan



I’ve said goodbye far too many times to count





I wish I knew my route





I wish this was all a crazy story





I know you have a plan





But it’s hard to understand





When you track your memories by houses





I know this isn’t normal





My life seems all awry





You have a plan





Too many different cities to keep track of





Sometimes I think it’s all a dream





Why can’t I just wake up?





You have a plan





Goodbyes are much too hard





I hate when people say they want to leave





No one understands





You have a plan





There’s so much to my life





Little facts I always forget





Like how many times I’ve cried in my pillow





You have a plan





1,000 miles away from home





But now I’m back





Crazy story, really





You have a plan





Not that I understand any of this





Have I changed someone’s life?





What do I leave behind,





When I say goodbye





I know you have a plan





I’ll smile and keep moving





You have a plan





Remember, if you want me to review your novel (on Goodreads and my blog), you can sign up here!









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 07, 2020 13:05

September 30, 2020

Starlight Seized: Review

Today I’m sharing my recent read Starlight Seized, which is a beautiful title, by the way! And China Dennington’s cover is equally beautiful.





[image error]



4 stars



Prose: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5



Prose:



Very elegant, flowing, and well-written! It is definitely one of the author’s strong points. I enjoyed the poetry featured in both Tessa’s and Maris’ entries.





Romance:



Very subtle and well-fleshed out. It wasn’t a romance novel by any measure, but it hinted so well at blossoming romance between various people and their relationships without distracting from the story.





Characters:



Another well thought out part of the novel. The characters are very complex and multi-dimensional. They all have various parts to them, rather than being two-dimensional. Because of the format of the novel, which goes through two different timelines, there is a rather large cast, but the author does a good job of keeping everyone straight in the reader’s mind.





Plot:



The book started off rather slow, personally. The middle kept me interested and wanting to read, but then the ending seemed to come much too quickly. Although I did agree with the ending, I thought it could have been expanded a little bit.





Overall:



A really good novel! I enjoyed it way more than I thought it did. It had a few pacing issues, but it didn’t detract too much from the overall story.





Content:



A few light kisses. Mentions of pregnancy, and having children. The book was pretty clean. It did deal with issues about war, poisoning, and government type issues, but nothing was graphic. It would have been fine for even a 12+





I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.









Remember, if you want me to review your novel (on Goodreads and my blog), you can sign up here!









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 30, 2020 14:07

September 23, 2020

Thoughts From Camp pt 2

Today I’m going to be sharing a bit more of what I learned from camp, and this will probably be the last post.





[image error]



The first thing I want to talk about is love pranks! At camp, instead of regular pranks, the summer staff like to ‘love prank’ each other. Especially at the end of the year, it can be really rewarding to know that someone cares about you.





“When joy is a habit, love is a reflex.”

Bob Goff




My accommodations team, near the end of the year, chose to prank the dish crew, who works super hard. We bought them all ice cream that afternoon, and then that evening we did their dinner dishes for them! We weren’t expecting anything back, but then dish crew made pie for us! (Which we ate together at 10pm that night.)





Anyway, my point here is that sometimes in our society we forget to love each other, and it’s something that’s really important.





“To love at all is to be vulnerable.”

C.S. Lewis




Something we learned at the beginning of the summer was about our identities. We did a little study on identity the first week of camp, and this was an interesting part I took from my notes:





-we are God’s workmanship, our God is active and engaged

-the greatest artist in the universes considers you a masterpiece





The verse that accompanied it was Ephesians 2:4-10:





4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us so long ago.





This was just part of a bigger study on our identity in Christ. It’s a massive topic to delve into. I haven’t even begun to figure it out myself!





I think that’s all I’ll cover for today, and next week I’ll wrap it up with my third post in the series, all about coming down from a camp high and transitioning back into the ‘real world,’ plus how I’m applying what I learned at camp to school.





“If you love deeply, you’re going to get hurt badly. But it’s still worth it.”

C.S. Lewis








Don’t forget about my upcoming newsletter, which you can read more about here. Remember, if you want your novel reviewed you can sign up here, I’m looking for some books to read!









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 23, 2020 04:00

September 16, 2020

Thoughts From Camp pt. 1

So today I’m going to be sharing some take-aways I had from spending the summer at camp. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to change me as much as it did, or for me to go through quite as much growth as I did! I’m also going to be sharing a few quotes/verses that were impactful.





[image error]



So the first thing I’m going to talk about is being intentional. This was something I learned a lot about over the summer, and it really hit home for me. It’s very easy in this world to just move through life without really thinking about it, but something that was talked about a lot at camp was being purposeful about everything we did.





There’s this thing at camp called a one-on-one, which involves two people choosing to spend some time together (platonically) lots of times it’s over a meal because of work schedules, but it doesn’t have to be. These are a great example of being intentional with your time, because one-on-ones are specifically for getting to know other people better.





This is a verse I wrote in my bullet journal back in June, just a little ways into camp:





“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.”

Isaiah 40:31




Community is a big thing among the summer staff at camp, and getting to know people in a deeper way is a big part of it. We do things like group bible studies, and staffternoon (staff/afternoon), which is an event/game we all do together Friday afternoon.





This is a quote from a novel I was reading right before I went to camp and finished at camp. I used it for a Bible study the day I led, and it really made me sit back and think.





“Biblically, faith isn’t believing things that don’t match up to reality. It’s admitting that God is the greatest reality in the universe and then living as if that proposition is true.”

Jeff Myers (Unquestioned Answers)




Faith is something I’ve always struggled to wrap my mind around. I tend to be a planner, and I like to have everything laid out in ink. Learning how to trust in God’s plan and have faith even when I feel like everything is all over the place has been really hard for me, but working at camp really helped me understand that He has it all under control.





“But someone will say, ‘you have your faith, and I have my deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

James 2:18




Something that I really saw played out at camp this year was God’s awesome power and the way He works in everything we do. It sounds so cheesy, especially to my ears after hearing it all summer, but it’s amazing we got through 8 weeks of family camp!





The camp staff all knew that it was unlikely we’d make it through 8 weeks without someone getting COVID and the county shutting us down. We were all really careful about washing out hands, wearing masks, and reminding the campers to be outside as much as possible, but as more camps around us were shut down, most of us knew our chances were pretty low.





“True joy is the evidence of God working in us, through us, and around us.”

Christian Bosse




Because of all of that, when we hit week seven we were all rejoicing! God really kept us safe this year, especially since none of the staff even got colds or anything. We were all very healthy. This allowed for some amazing experiences, and a lot of people got saved at camp this year. In just one week we had about 16 baptisms! If God hadn’t provided and kept us healthy, that week wouldn’t have ever happened.





I have a lot more to share about the later part of camp, but I’m going to split this post up so you don’t have to read so much at once!





One last quote before I go:





[image error]











There’s not much I have planned for this upcoming month, other than an upcoming newsletter, which you can read more about here. Remember, if you want your novel reviewed you can sign up here, I’m looking for some books to read!









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 16, 2020 14:54

September 9, 2020

Hearts On Lonely Mountain: Review

Today I’m bringing you a review and celebrating the release of Anita Heath’s newest novel!





[image error]



Before we dive into the review, I have a little bit to share about Anita herself, and some cool 1930s songs she chose to share with us!





AnitA:



Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and a retired cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. What I’m not is a laundress (or at least not one who keeps up very well), a duster, tall, or patient in a doctor’s office.





I’d love to hear from you. You can visit me online on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Bookbub, Pinterest, and my blog. *Note: I’m most active on Facebook and my blog.





Whether you’re on social media or not, you can ensure that you never miss one of my sales, giveaways, or new releases by signing up for my newsletter. I’ll send you a direct link to your email anytime something big happens. http://eepurl.com/dDbVNz





Website: https://christianauthoramheath.net/





Blog: https://christianauthoramheath.net/blog/





Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMHeathfanpage/





Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8302606.A_M_Heath





Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aheath2257/?eq=a.m.&etslf=5672





Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAMHeath





BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-m-heath-41b54829-fb8c-469e-a96f-52efe9efacb1





The music Anita will be sharing with us today is all from the 1930s. There’s some pretty cool songs in here, I’d encourage you to give them a listen!





Take it away Anita!



I want to share 3 songs as a sample of the times. This is barely scratching the surface, but I hope it whets your appetite for more.





The theme song of the Great Depression would be “Brother Can You Spare a Dime.” Please take a moment to enjoy Bing Cosby’s version, recorded in the 1930s.











The people were hard pressed on all sides, and yet there remains a playful spirit. “Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!” is one of those upbeat examples. This is recorded in 1939 by The Anderson Sisters.











And lastly, I want to share “Easy to Love” from the movie Born to Dance from 1936. While the Great Depression deteriorated the livelihood of an entire nation, Hollywood chose to focus on the brighter things in life. They purposely went for opulent sets. This movie is no exception. Listen to the flirty tune and watch the background. Everything is wide open spaces and finery. Plus it’s a really cute song!











And now back to me! There are some really interesting songs from the 1930s, aren’t there? Anyway, I’m going to share my review, and then at the bottom of this post I’m going to share who won the giveaway I opened up last week!





4 stars



Prose: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 3/5



Prose:



The prose was a little lacking, in my opinion. It was still very enjoyable, and I still really liked it, but sometimes I felt too distanced from the characters and more like I was just watching them act it out in front of me, rather than being real.





Romance:



This part was really well-done! The author had me on the edge the whole time, waiting to see if they’d get together! I shipped them from the beginning, but I didn’t know what would happen with their relationship.





Characters:



The characters were all very well done as well. This is definitely one of the author’s strong points! They all felt really realistic, and the relationships between characters was my favorite part of the novel. It wasn’t just the romance, but the friendships between the librarians were so sweet.





Plot:



This element wasn’t quite as good, at least personally. There were definitely parts I found lacking, and sometimes I got bored with it. It moved pretty slowly as well, at least for me.





Overall:



This was a pretty well-written novel! I’m glad I got the opportunity to read it! It wasn’t a top ten or anything, but it was really sweet and made me smile a lot. I definitely enjoyed it, and would recommend it!





Content:



A girl stays at a guy’s house overnight, but it is clear nothing happens. A girl gets an injury. Romantic thoughts. Two people kiss. A guy makes unwanted advances on a girl. Nothing too bad.





code word: came





And be sure to enter her giveaway!













Like I’ve said before, at some point I plan on sharing some of my thoughts from this summer I spent at camp, and I have a few other fun posts planned as well! Remember, if you want your novel reviewed you can sign up here, I’m looking for some books to read!





The winner of first place for my giveaway is Penny! Congratulations Penny! And Emma won second place. I will be sending out an email soon! Thank you everyone who entered, and if anyone still wants to read Apple Pie you can purchase it on Amazon for $7.95.









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 09, 2020 11:26

September 2, 2020

Projects + Giveaways

Hi everyone! Last week I mistakenly told you to expect a review of the novel Hearts On Lonely Mountain this week, but that’s actually next week! Instead, this week I’m going to share a few fun things including a giveaway, a new project of mine, and a new email list!





[image error]



I’m sure you’re all waiting anxiously for the giveaway, so I’ll share that first. This week I’m giving away one paperback copy of Apple Pie and two e-book copies! The giveaway is going to be found here:





http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/faca2f454/?





It closes next Wednesday in one week, 9/9/2020. International shipping is not available, those that are international will receive an e-book if then end up winning. I’ll email all the winners after 9/9!





[image error]



I’m also going to start sharing a little more about my newest project: a revised second edition of Fairy Tale Chronicles, and an additional fourth novel in the series. I shared a little about this a few months ago, and some snippets back in June.





I’ve been working on re-vamping the covers for the third time since I began this project, and I’m pretty sure I’ve finally settled on a design. I plan to host a cover reveal blog tour soon. I released the first novel/first edition of Princess Chronicles around three years ago, and I took them down from Amazon last year, when I began working on the restart.





The first novel, The Runaway Princess, is open for beta readers today! You can sign up to beta read here, and also view the blurb + more information there!





[image error]



I’m also going to be starting back up an email list beginning in October! If you’d like to get to know more about my general life, be the first to hear about everything from giveaways to new releases, and get an inspirational quote/verse each week, you can sign up here.





This email list will be once a month, around the 1st, excluding holidays/weekends. It will also include a new serialized novel completely free, one chapter every month.





[image error]



Love Slowly is a historical fiction (loosely based on 1899-1901) slow-burn romance. It features Lady Emma Plume, a young Christian woman who finds herself in an arranged marriage with Lord Arthur Retalli, a skeptic.









A few general updates, next week will be a review, as mentioned above, and at some point I plan on sharing some of my thoughts from this summer I spent at camp. Remember, if you want your novel reviewed you can sign up here, I’m looking for some books to read!









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 02, 2020 04:00

August 26, 2020

For The Jane Austen Fans

I know that many of my readers, myself included, are fans of Jane Austen and her works. I fell in love with her novels after I read Emma in 8th grade, and later watched the movie with my mom. So today, for a bit of a fun post after my organization series, I’m going to share some quotes, similar authors, and TV shows/movies!





[image error]



The first thing I’m going to talk about is Downton Abbey, because most of you have probably already heard of it/already watch it. It is both a movie and a TV show. It does have some historical inaccuracies, if you are picky about those things this won’t work for you, and isn’t suitable for an younger audience, as there are some iffy scenes. (The worst one is one of the very first episodes). Overall, it has an excellent storyline and plot, and does a very good job of showing how life was changing for the aristocracy. The costumes are excellent, and the characters are as well.





[image error]



The second thing I’m going to cover is authors. There are several who write novels reminiscent of Austen, though few capture her language and true authenticity of the times. Lynn Austin is a good Christian romance author, and I’ve enjoyed many of her novels. If you are less of a romance fan and want that good historical accuracy, you can always try Agatha Christie.





Kellyn Roth is another good historical romance author, especially if you like Christian romance and novels dealing with the actuality of life. She also features a lot of cute children in her series titled Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, so that’s always a plus.





[image error]



There are plenty more Christian historical romance authors for those who prefer a cheesy romance, one of which is Lori Wick. For those who like a slightly more plot-based novel set in the american west, Janette Oke is a good author, especially her series Love Comes Softly.





For those fairy-tale lovers, Allison Tebo offers some very well-done fairy-tale retellings, set in a similar time to Jane Austen, but with slightly less of a romance focus. Lawana Blackwell has a very good series called Gresham Chronicles, that have more romance but plenty of plot, and also feature children.





Another well-done novel is Princess Paisley, by Chautona Havig. It is set in a fantasy land, but retains elements of a Jane Austen, and holds a very sweet romance. She also wrote the series Annals of Wynnewood, which is another fantasy series that I enjoyed when I was slightly younger. It isn’t very Austen, but a well-written series I felt the need to share.





[image error]



The last thing I’m going to share today is my top three favorite Jane Austen novels! If you’ve never really gotten into Austen, or would like to read them for the first time, I would recommend beginning with Emma. It’s also a good idea to watch the movie after you read it, it gives you motivation to read and helps you understand the novel!





1- Pride and PREJUDICE



I’m a sucker for a slow-love story, and this is exactly that! Plus, who could resist Darcy? There are several good movies for this one, and I’m not going to pick a favorite today, but the novel is excellent!





2- Emma



Some people don’t like Emma quite as much as I did, and yet others found her annoying, but I appreciated the light-heartedness of the novel. She certainly made a few mistakes, but she learned from them and the character growth is excellent! (also features the friends to lovers trope!)





3- Sense and Sensebility



This is my mom’s favorite Jane Austen, so of course I had to include it. I liked the sisterly dynamic in it, and enjoyed the movie as well. It was just as enjoyable as the other two.









A few general updates after all of that Austen fun! Firstly, next week you can expect a review of the novel Hearts on Lonely Mountain. Secondly, I reached 200 followers some time last night! I was quite surprised, and I’m currently at about 201. Thank you so much, all of you who have been with my since I started this venture at only fourteen, and all of you who have simply just joined me!









As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on August 26, 2020 07:44

August 5, 2020

Staying Organized: Good Habits

One of the most important parts of staying organized, especially when you’re busy, is having good habits. If you try to do everything all in one day you’ll get stressed, but if you do a little bit every day your life will be so much easier.





[image error]



I always make a little time for organization every day, sometimes right after my devotionals, but when I’m in school this usually happens in study hall. I usually pull out my bullet journal and make a list of everything I have to do, plus check my calendar for the day (or the next day).





Here at camp we have to fill out time cards, so every evening I’ll take out that and fill it out. At home evenings are used to complete homework.





My mom has a whiteboard calendar in our living room, and I usually try to check that every morning as well.





Another good habit is to always write down an event whenever you first here of it. Lots of times I’ll scribble it on my hand and put it in my bullet journal later. This is a great way to stay on top of everything.





The last (one of the most important) habit I have is routinely clearing out my backpack and homework folder. Sometimes I’ll do this during study hall, but I try to do it at least one evening a week. This way I always have everything I need, and know where it all is.





This is the last post in the Staying Organized series, and don’t forget if you want me to read your novel and feature it on my blog, just sign up here!










As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on August 05, 2020 12:44

July 29, 2020

The Grim Alliance: Review

The Grim Alliance, Infidel books #2: Angela R. Watts





This book was a great follow-up to The Divided Nation, and left me in even further suspense. I can’t wait to see where Angela goes with this series in the future! I recently reviewed the first novel in the series, and was super excited when I saw that Angela was holding a blog tour for this new release! I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you!





[image error]



Five stars





Prose: 5/5





Romance: 5/5





Characters: 5/5





Plot: 5/5





Prose:





Similar to before, the prose was very well done. Angela does a wonderful job of handling a large cast of characters and still making their voices unique.





Romance:





Agh! Last time I was hoping for more Simon and Rene… that’s definitelyf what we got! I loved their relationship, and how some of the hardships they went through were handled.





Characters:





I still can’t quite keep everyone straight all the time, but the main cast of protagonists were much easier to identify this time around. I love everyone’s character development, and there are certain characters that I just want to have happy endings! I’m trying not to be very spoilery, but everyone has grown so much since book one. Especially in the faith aspect for some of them!





Plot:





This series continues to be so complex and well thought out! Usually I can predict novels fairly easily, but I continue to be surprised by both the characters and Angela’s decisions plot-wise.





Overall:





I cannot wait for the next novel in the series! I am thrilled to see this series continue to grow and it’s really an amazing novel!





Content:





This is a somewhat dark dystopian novel. Some of the things characters go through are pretty scary. There’s a lot of mentions of shooting/killing/people dying, usual warfare. Some assassinations. Mentions of girls being raped (does not happen on-screen, treated as wrong) Some mentions of how sexual assault is considered ‘okay’ by some of the other men (treated as wrong by main characters). Mentions of drinking/getting drunk (treated as wrong). Mentions of poisonings, of pregnancy/having children, plus some people who get seriously injured.





WHEN THE NATION RIOTS, THE INFIDELS MUST BLEED.





Blurb



The Second Civil War storms through the crippled US and winter brings nothing but disaster. West Johnston has earned his mafia father’s trust while searching for hidden answers: why are the UN leaders being assassinated, and why can’t the killers be found? If West can’t stop the Union from attacking D.C. in their last attempt to win the war, how can he stop his father?

Springtown remains one of the few townships left standing amid the tyrannical rule. Another group of gangsters prepare the town for winter. Rene’ Fisher is torn between fearing for her boyfriend Simon’s life and the upheaval taking place in Springtown. Can her father keep the town at peace? Will God have mercy on the allegiance the town must form with an unlikely candidate in order to survive, or will Rene’s home burn like the rest of the world?

Told in multiple bold, abrasive narratives, THE GRIM ALLIANCE steps into a war-ridden nation where bleeding for what you believe is the only option for those determined to win. But with faith, can even the bloodiest hands be made clean?






Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51202347-the-grim-alliance





Author Bio



Angela R. Watts is a Christian fiction author who strives to glorify the Lord in all she does. She’s a homeschooled highschooler living at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee, though with Gypsy and Norwegian in her blood, she tends to travel. She’s been writing stories since she was little, but also enjoys chores, painting, and watching sunsets.

Website: https://thepeculiarmessenger.wordpress.com/





Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angela-R-Watts/e/B07F97JNMY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1564688304&sr=8-1





Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17597325.Angela_R_Watts





Giveaway!



US shipping only. If an international winner is drawn, they will receive an ebook only.





1st place: paperback copy of The Grim Alliance and bookmark.





2nd place: ebook copy of The Grim Alliance





http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/67236cd79/?





Tomorrow



July 30th, Thursday





Kaitlyn Krispense | Book Review





Abigail Harris | Book Spotlight





Faith Potts | Book Spotlight










As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 29, 2020 13:25

July 25, 2020

Ivy Introspective: Review

In a world that doesn’t understand her, how can she grow?





Ivy Introspective is one of my favorite Chronicles of Alice and Ivy books. I absolutely love Ivy, and the transformation she undergoes over the course of the novel is very well-done and impressive.





[image error]



The characters are what really tug on me for this series, but especially this book!





Five stars





Prose: 5/5





Romance: 





Characters: 5/5





Plot: 5/5





Prose:





I absolutely love Kellyn’s style of writing. This novel is written from a young girl’s perspective, and Kellyn handles that very well, making it still seem mature and appropriate for an older audience.





Romance:





There’s not a lot of romance in this novel. Some of it is because Ivy is only twelve when the novel starts. She doesn’t pay very much attention to anything romantic. There are little bits of it between her parents, and two of the other people who live at Pearlbelle Park, but it’s more of a surprise to Ivy than anything else. Most of the relationships in this novel are platonic.





Characters:





There was so much development and growth for a ton of these characters! Especially Ivy, of course. Everyone was fleshed out very well, and ready the first novel isn’t necessary to understand the family dynamics here.





Plot:





The plot for Ivy Introspective is much more character-driven than anything. It follows the story of Ivy finding out who she is and learning how to survive in the world. There is some other plot lines, of course.





Overall:





I think this is the perfect novel for Ivy, and really allows the readers to understand her. It also provides a little more background for her Grandmother, Nora, and introduces the readers to a lot of new characters as well!





Content:





A few mentions of childbirth/pregnancy. Mentions of/a character who talks freely about suicide/death. Characters who are most likely depressed. The book deals heavily with mental illnesses, but as it is set in the Victorian era, none of them are explicitly named and several of the characters are treated poorly because of their illnesses. Mentions of abuse (in the past), a woman dealing with the mental aftermath of her abusive husband’s death. Overall very clean.





[image error]



Blurb



In a world that doesn’t understand her, how can she grow?

Ivy Knight lives her life in a blur of confusion as the world passes her by in a tumultuous melody. She isn’t the perfect daughter or student, but as long as she can be with her family, she doesn’t mind watching rather than living.

Mrs. Chattoway treasures both of her granddaughters now that they’re reunited. When Ivy’s parents enroll her in a Scottish school for unique children, she’s happy to chaperone.

In a new place with a new guardian, Ivy discovers a special talent that helps her see the blurred world in a new way. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and Ivy becomes determined to find it—and help others do the same.






You can find the book on Goodreads, Amazon, or the Website!









If you want me to review your novel and feature it here, sign up here!





The regularly scheduled Wednesday blog post will be coming out this week as usual, and is another review, this time of Angela R. Watt’s The Grim Alliance, a book I’m very excited about! The staying organized series will continue next week, with a post about google!










As always, remember to like, comment, or share, whatever floats your boat! Until next time!





[image error]
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 25, 2020 04:34