"Titanic: Ghosts of Southampton Book 1" by I.D. Johnson

Charlie and Meg have been betrothed for a while, but they have never met in person. Though she was born to a wealthy family, after her father's death Meg's life has never been easy. When the opportunity for her to run away from everything arrives, she escapes with her lady's maid/best friend & their family aboard the Titanic's maiden voyage.

But again, nothing is ever simple. Meg and her chosen family soon run into Charlie aboard the ship. But as he has never met Meg in person, he doesn't realize that the woman he met among the third class passengers and has begun to fall in love with was in reality his fiancee.

As with the prequel, this book grabbed my interest & held on tight. We got to learn much more about Meg's life as she grew up, and I feel that I need to warn anyone triggered by either child abuse or sexual abuse about this book. While it is not graphically described, it is made quite clear what has been happening to Meg for years. And as in the prequel, this is a very important part of the story and is not something that could be left out.

This story was well crafted. I particularly liked the portrayal of the historical characters that were known to be aboard the Titanic's maiden voyage as well as the fictional characters created for this story. The personalities of everyone came through very clearly. I particularly enjoyed seeing the character of history’s famous Molly Brown shine through so clearly. All in all, this book was well worth reading. I honestly couldn't put this book down! Recommended.

"The Andersen Ancestry" by Addie J. King

Janie and her best friend Mia are once again beset by strange things happening to them. This time, it seems that the Sea Witch has escaped from the fairylands and is determined to take her revenge on the descendants of Hans Christian Andersen. Her first target appears to be Mia, though why, neither of them is really certain as Hans Christian Andersen never had any children.

This was a fun story, especially for those who grew up loving old fairy tales as I did. Ms. King has written a fascinating story involving not only the characters from her previous book, but introducing us to others who look to become important in future stories within this series. She also managed to weave in a variety of tales and characters from many of Hans Christian Andersen's stories in unique and interesting ways.

I enjoyed reading this book & learning more little tidbits about Hans Christian Andersen than I had previously known. (If you’re like me, you probably grew up watching the AMC musical about Hans Christian Andersen. I know I still love watching it whenever it is on & find myself singing along with the characters on the TV. ) It was a fun story and kept me entertained throughout while watching Janie & Mia deal with the Sea Witch and her curses, as well as the other problems that always seem to come up as they are trying to solve the big problem in front of them.

I'm looking forward to continuing on with this series and discovering what the focus of the next book will be. If you enjoy twisted fairy tales, I would definitely recommend giving this series a try as Ms. King has done a fantastic job of incorporating in a number of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales into this story.

“Accepting the Moon" by K.S. Haigwood

After Mena confronts her husband of 12 years about his cheating on her, and after a very loud argument during which he strikes her, Mena flees from him. She doesn't know where she's going, only that she needs to escape. In her attempt to get away from her husband, she encounters a man by the name of Jaxon, who isn't what he appears to be any more than Mena's husband was.

And now she needs to deal with not only the fact that her husband was cheating on her, but that his attack has left her to deal with a good deal more after-effects than one would normally expect. Her life is never going to be anything close to what it had once been ever again, and she must learn to navigate the new world she has suddenly found herself thrust into.

I enjoyed reading this short prequel story. It was well written and quite enjoyable to read. (I finished it in one sitting.) This paranormal fiction tale grabbed and held my interest all the way through. I can't wait to see what will happen with the supernatural tribes involved in this story and will definitely be continuing to read the rest of this series.

This was a great starter story for this series. I think anyone who is looking for something involving werewolves & other paranormal beings will enjoy it. I know I did.

"The Flower of Chivalry" by Scott Telek

The story of King Arthur and his knights of the round table has fascinated readers for ages. This book is no exception. This is the fourth book in this series and begins strong & I felt finished even stronger. I had a very hard time putting it down to sleep at night!

In this book we get to learn what Arthur's childhood was like. It begins with both Arthur & Kay as infants being raised by Sir Ector and his wife. We are shown how the boys grew & we are given great insight into both their character as young children and what likely caused them to grow into the men they are destined to become.

Reading this book left little doubt in my mind as to why, as they grew, that they came to make the choices they made, all while clearly letting us see the differences in their personalities and why those differences existed that explains so much about each of them and their differences, despite being raised as brothers.

We get to see what lessons they learned along the way to turn them into the legendary knights that almost everyone is at least somewhat familiar with. We also see many of the other characters who will become central to this story before most of them will have truly ventured far on their journeys in life.

Most of us can guess as to one of the major events at the end of this book, though I won't give you the specifics of what happens in this review as each version of this legend is spun a little differently by each author who takes the task of telling it upon themselves.

What I will say is that this is one that you really don't want to miss out on reading. The story told is well written and very enjoyable. It is well worth the time spent reading it and you won’t want to put it down. I am very definitely looking forward to the next book in this series. Highly Recommended.

"Limped Mail Order Bride and her Dejected Cowboy" by Florence Linnington.

Cora knows it is time to make her own way in the world & that her parents can no longer continue to support her, though she knew they would try to if she stayed. So when she gets an offer of marriage from a man out west, she accepts it and leaves to marry a man she has never met.

She knows he has aspirations of becoming town mayor, and as such he needs a beautiful bride by his side when that happens. It is because of this fact that he does not care about the severe limp that so many other men had rejected her over. But shortly after meeting him, everything falls apart when he suddenly loses everything & can no longer afford to get married.

Cora had met only one person in town, and desperate with nowhere else to go, she makes her way to Ogoe Ranch in the hopes that Rachel and her family might need some help and provide her with a place to stay.

I enjoyed reading this book just as much as I have the rest of Ms. Linnington's books. The story was a heartwarming one about learning to accept yourself as you are and learning that the faults you see in yourself might not be even noticed by those around you.

Not only Cora, but a Ranch hand named Derek must learn these lessons before either of them can hope to find any sort of happiness in either of their lives. The question is, will they be able to do so?

As always with her stories, this is a well-written tale about finding a way to overcome our own self-created obstacles. And like her previous books, I enjoy knowing that I can expect a happy ending no matter what difficulties the characters must overcome to get there.

"Prelude: Ghosts of Southampton" by I. D. Johnson

Meg's father has realized that his wife has been trying to get rid of him and has taken steps to protect his young daughter and to arrange for her future. He makes an agreement with a good friend and business associate for Meg to marry the other man's son once they have both come of age. In the event of his death, his will leaves control of his business to Meg's husband, though her uncle will continue to run things until then.

And while Meg's life should have been one of extreme privilege and comfort, unfortunately it was anything but happy. Readers should be warned that Meg is abused by her uncle from a very young age. While this is not graphically depicted in the story, it is clear what has been happening to her and may be a trigger point for some readers. But this is an important plot point in the story and leads to actions taken by the characters in this, and likely the next, book in this series. As such, it cannot be ignored.

As described by the title, this book was the prequel to the novel "Titanic." While it may not be absolutely necessary to read this book to fully understand the story in the next book, I believe it gives us an important insight into the characters' motivations. I believe reading this book will enhance the experience of reading the rest of this series.

"Choosing Sides" by Karen Meyer

Gilbert Freeman is a young man who is unhappy with his current life. His mother has passed away and he always seems to be at odds with his father lately. Gilbert really wants to return and finish his schooling, but his father needs him to stay and work full time with him on the farm.

Things keep getting more and more tense between the two of them, until one night Gilbert decides to leave the farm behind and move to Westerville and find his own way in the world.

This was a book that I truly enjoyed reading. It takes place in Central Ohio, near the area where I currently live, so while the specific locations mentioned may no longer be present, the towns mentioned still are.

The story in this book is based on a few events that occurred during the temperance movement in the 1800s in Ohio. I found this story to be well written. It drew me in and made me want to keep reading to see what would happen to Gilbert and to see where he would end up once all was said and done.

One of the things that I enjoyed most in this book were the author notes at the end of the story. I loved not only having had the chance to enjoy her tale, but getting the chance to learn about the historical events that inspired it. I would recommend reading this one, especially if historically inspired stories interest you as they do me.