The Forgotten Girl by Heather Chapman

It is 1906, and sixteen-year-old Stella's life in Durliosy, Poland, is bleak. Her only hope of surviving is to travel to America, a land of freedom and opportunity, and reunite with her brother in Baltimore. There she'll find new challenges, and perhaps, if she can put her painful past behind her, a new chance for love and lasting happiness.

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I love when book are based on real characters like this one.  This character, Stella, is based on the authors ancestor.  How cool is that?  What a special tribute to those who have gone before and paved the way for a better world for those to come.

Stella's story isn't a happy one, really.  It's full of pain, heartache and sadness, especially for one so young.  Early immigrants had such a rough time of things.  They often traded in one gigantic struggle for another by coming to America.  That is quite evident in this book as Stella chases the dream of freedom and a better life by coming to a new country, only to find herself in poverty and oppression again.  This time with no English language skills.  I felt for the plight of Stella and the many others who struggled along side her.  I am humbled by their determination and strength.

This was a good story even though there wasn't very much happy to it.  There was always the smallest little seed of hope there, which I clung to along with Stella.  Thank goodness for people like her who dared to dream of a better life.  Those of us who live now owe a lot to them.

This book is just $.99 on Amazon as of today.  That's a steal of a deal!

Content:  some peril, mild violence, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Excerpt:

My brother shakes his head, and I see his shoulders rise. His eyes are dark, a faraway look in them. "You forget," he says, his voice growing deeper. "Poles are not welcome in America."

I wipe my cheek with my sleeve, praying Jozef did not see the tear roll down it. Not welcome? My chest feels like it is on fire, and it is as if only my rebuttal can quench it. "We are not welcome in our own country," I say, my eyes falling to the floor.

Jozef lets out a deep grunt, so deep that it rolls throughout the room, bouncing along the floorboards and between the others seated at the table. I lift my head to see his hand twist around the back of the chair as if meant to crush the wood between his fingers. "At least tell me you have not forgotten your Polish pride," he whispers, his voice cracking like a whip against a mule.


I shake my head, too angry and stubborn to say anything in reply. I do not forget. I cannot forget.

Heather currently resides in Soda Springs, Idaho, with her husband and four children. She graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University. Heather has worked in various administrative assistant roles and as an event planner. Heather has also worked as a piano accompanist and piano teacher on the side. She currently spends her time writing and working as a stay-at-home mother.

Unexpected Love: A Marriage of Convenience Anthology by Heather Chapman, Mandi Ellsworth, Paula Kremsler, Ashtyn Newbold

Around the turn of the century, matches were made for all sorts of reasons--whether to keep a family together or simply to make ends meet. But love has a way of turning up in the most unexpected places! With four historical romance stories in one, this fun anthology will sweep you from the dance floors of aristocracy to the hearths of country living, leading to love through the most unusual circumstances.

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I love reading marriage of convenience stories.  In this book, you get four stories by four different authors.  The stories are novella in length, which is just perfect when you are looking for a quick fix.  (Which I didn't do.  I read one right after the other- sort of like a binge and felt oh so satisfied after!) Each of these stories are well done and I loved them all.  While they are all marriage of convenience stories, each felt different and unique.  The settings were varied and ranged from England to New York City and the western frontier.  The characters were fantastic.  I had no problem settling in with each one and letting the movies play out in my head.  Sometimes marriage of convenience stories can feel rushed, especially in a novella, but I didn't feel way that with any of these.  This was such a fun book and I'm so glad I had the chance to read and review it!

The book includes the following stories:

Ashbrook Abbey by Heather Chapman

First Comes Marriage by Paula Kremser

The Price of Her Heart by Mandi Ellsworth

Beauty and the Beholder by Ashtyn Newbold

Content:  kissing

- I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

The Second Season by Heather Chapman

Eleanor Hopkins has lived in disappointment for far too long believing that her husband only married her for fortune, and she determines to protect her own daughters from such misery by scheming to secure offers for both Lucy and Caroline based on mutual rank and reputation. When Caroline finds that the handsome and reputable Lord Searly desires her as his wife, she finds that no amount of planning or pretending can convince her to accept him. Instead, she is confronted with an unexpected and reluctant suitor in the respectable shoemaker Thomas Clark.

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The Second Season is a regency romance with basically three stories happening at the same time.  It includes the three females in one family- a mother and her two daughters.  You start with a look into the past with mother meeting her love and the father of the girls.  It really threw me off when what I began reading wasn't what came next.  When we return to present day, it is with Caroline.  I really wondered why I had just read all that about her mother (but I didn't know it was her mother for a bit).  We have flashbacks all throughout the book and I kind of wish they had been done in character reflection instead of random flashbacks.  It felt disjointed to me and I didn't like it.

Aside from that, I did enjoy the story (stories) presented here.  Caroline takes the center stage in this book, but her sister Lucy and her mother play a large part in things as well.  It is the typical story of finding love when society demands you marry for station and money.

I liked Caroline's self awareness and confidence.  Her verbal sparring with Lord Searly brings some humor to the story and Caroline usually comes out on top.  Lucy is more in the background as far as personality goes, but I did appreciate that these sisters had a good relationship and looked out for each other.

Overall a good, clean regency romance.  No content to disclose.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.