Stephenia H. McGeeBesprekingen

All set in 1905 on a farm outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi. The daughter is training Arrow to race - something no woman it that time should be doing. After her father dies, and his brother, Amos arrives to "take care of the women" and the homestead, things start to unravel. Silas' mother has passed away in Texas, but something untoward caused his father's death in Philadelphia, Mississippi all those years ago and he is determined to find out the truth.

Nora Fenton is determined to make her family's horse farm a success after the death of her father, but when horsetrainer Silas Cavallero comes to work with their horse he also brings questions that threaten the future of Emberwild.

An engaging read from the beginning, with an intriguing set up. I especially loved all the horses and Nora's bond with her colt Arrow.

This was a quick read, with steady pacing, and likable characters. This was a pleasant read, though a bit predictable. It was fun learning more about harness racing, and I liked how horses brought Silas and Nora together. Good elements of historical romance, mystery, and faith.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is fantastic! It captured my attention right from the beginning! The story is unique, and there are many surprises! Lillian is my favorite character, with Jonah running a close second. It's a story of faith, family, love, and second chances! A definite must-read!

I enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and I was invested in them. I liked the location and the time period. The love story was sweet and I enjoyed seeing it unfold. It was a quick, easy, enjoyable read. There were some plot hoes that I had a hard time overlooking, but overall it was a nice story.

River pirates, showboats, romance, a talented heroine & a reluctant hero! An exciting start to a new series. Set in the Roaring 20’s on the Mississippi River, Emmett Carter never imagined his ship would be stolen by river pirates & he’d be left to swim for his life. Rescued by an endearing, quirky Showboat family, he’s immediately drawn to Anola Flynn, the star singer. Anola’s outgoing, forthright, bold, & faithful. She encourages the reserved accountant to go out of his comfort zone. When Emmett discovers his inheritance is stolen & his brother has been dealing with shady gangsters, he & Anola forge an alliance to save her family’s business while running for their lives.

This was a fun ride! I love stories that throw you into a whole new world. The action & romance kept me turning the pages as well as the inspirational faith that glued this delightful family together. Anola is such an endearing character. I loved her often hilarious Irish family too. The showboat atmosphere was a lot of fun & I loved the rich history behind the story.

Full of sweet romance, humor, faith, and plenty of action, highly recommend to historical romance & Christian historical fiction fans! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are completely my own and voluntarily provided.

What a delightful trip down the Mississippi on a showboat-The River Queen!
I was transported back to the 1920s, a time when entertainment came to the towns along the river. From the stunning cover to the beautiful ending, it was a story that captured my imagination. The plot was informative and interesting, telling about a unique life on a riverboat.
The Flynn family was quirky, full of faith and endearing as they welcome Emmett Carter aboard after pirates steal his vessel. When Emmett joins the crew, he is fascinated by Anola Flynn and her gypsy like costumes and independent demeanor. Anola is fiercely loyal to her family and she, in turn, is interested in Emmett.
Lots of mysteries to solve and Emmett needs to prove himself to the Flynns while relying on God to guide him.
Heartwarming and suspenseful, this story will keep you on your toes and satisfy your love of history.
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *

The River Queen launches the River Romances series in a big way as it takes us on an exciting chase down the Mississippi! This touching, entertaining story is a perfect blend of adventure, mystery, romance, and faith. I was immersed in this unique story from beginning to end. The authentic 1920s Mississippi riverboat setting is captivating. The wonderfully diverse cast of characters includes a lovable, quirky heroine who stole my heart from the get-go! The fast moving plot with its twists and turns kept me reading expectantly. I appreciate the faith thread that is so naturally woven into the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

May your troubles be forgotten as you step into our dream.

What a fabulous beginning to a story and a trip down the mighty Mississippi. This book does not disappoint - from being thrown overboard by river pirates to all your actors and staff under the influence of some unknown product. There is plenty of mystery and intrigue with lots of adventure and even some romance. Will The River Queen survive all this excitement to wend its way on the river for another season?

Trouble came for girlhood fairy tales and it could well tear her family apart.

An early copy was received through Vine Press and BookFunnel. These impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

I didn't want this one to end. I thought at first it was going to be just a sweet story, but as it unfolded I got thoroughly attached to the characters with more layers and mystery to uncover. Well done! Great faith lessons and life lessons for a society girl who learns to love small town living and family.
I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #TheSwindlersDaughter #StepheniaHMcGee #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #Revell #HistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

The book is filled with secrets that cause a young woman to question who she really is. What happens to Lillian when she finds out her mother has lied to her about her father? It is a shock and now she needs to decide if she wants to pursue getting to know him. Why did her mother keep this secret? Was it to protect Lillian?
There is a sweet romance in the story which I was very interesting in reading about. With adventure, historical facts a weave of faith this is a great book to enjoy.
I received a copy of this book from The Librarything Early Reader Program. The review is my own opinion.

A Gilded Age Getaway is another wonderful addition to the awesome, faith-filled Back Inn Time series! Each story immerses the reader in a different era and provides an amazing “what if...?” fictional, time travel adventure. I enjoy reading stories set in the Gilded Age, and this book realistically and interestingly portrays the opulence and pretension of high society in New York City in 1883. In this well-written story, I could feel and relate to Fiona and Tyler’s marital struggles. I love their “grand romantic adventure” with its unexpected twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it offered fun for my imagination and inspiration for my soul! I can’t wait to see what the eccentric Mrs. Easley and The Depot have in store for me next! I highly recommend this book and the series.
Note: Each book in the series is a standalone read and can be read in any order.
I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Help me, Lord, to learn to wash some feet.

This is a weekend away from the family for Fiona and Tyler Robinson. Fiona struggles with resentment - she is always home with the little children. Tyler is not attentive - he works long hours and when he is at home pays little attention to her or the children.

You are here because The Conductor knows you need to be. What on earth could they possibly learn by attending the Vanderbilt Ball in 1883? Well ~ read on and you will be surprised. With great detail the author takes us and the Robinsons into a world we know little about. There are many things that can be learned, not the least of which is to save yourself some stress by focusing on the oh-noes, not the what-ifs.

This copy of The Back Inn Time Series Book 5 was received through Vine Press and BookFunnel. These thoughts are mine and were in no way solicited.

This novel took many unexpected twists and turns that it easily held my attention from beginning to end! The mystery surrounding Lillian’s father was not predictable. Both main characters were great too, so it was no hardship to root for Lillian and Jonah. I thought their romance was well written. I also liked the history of 1912 sprinkled in among the plot. And the spiritual truth of redemption was great; I especially liked the change and growth in Jonah. I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to those who liked historical fiction with a twist of mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Poor Lillian’s world is turned upside down. She has grown up under the impression that she was an orphan and her father died years ago, Suddenly she receives the news he has recently died and left her a fortune. Good news right? Except for the fact she learns she is illegitimate and her mother has hidden the truth.
She sets off alone (at her mother’s direction) to his hometown, a small, isolated community to claim her inheritance. Keep in mind she has been kept tightly under her mother’s control all this time. She is excited and nervous. Upon arrival she finds out there are people living in his-her home claiming it will soon be theirs. This becomes a whirlwind of experiences, even meeting family she never knew she had.
She finds her “fortune” is not as easy to obtain as she thought. There are more questions than answers and trouble rears its ugly head.
I felt sorry for Lillian. She had zero life experience in anything, certainly not people out of high society with their rigid rules. It was hard to see her try to operate with the shallowness of those she had been raised with. How wonderful itr it was when she began to accept and understand down to earth people and develop tangible relationships. She began to look outside of the tiny box of her previous life and truly dream.
At first I thought Jonah just a surly bitter young man. I tried to step back and see things from his perspective. My heart warmed as I saw his true self be revealed and his affection for Lillian to grow. Jonah’s mother was a delight. Her strong faith in God, hardworking ethic and joyful attitude amazed me. I enjoyed every line written about her. I was pleasantly surprised at the all the twists and turns in the story. There was so much mystery and unexpected developments! It definitely kept me turning the pages long into the night. I enjoyed this so much I also plan to read the author’s other book, The Secrets of Emberwild.
I received this book from Revell Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

I loved this wonderful story. I loved the romance and the bits of intrigue. I loved Lillian and Jonah. I also really liked Alma. I did not want to put the book down. I enjoyed learning a little about bootlegging. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

How would you feel, and how would you deal with learning that your father had recently died, instead of years ago? Could you adapt to a small backwoods town after being a city dweller all of your life? Lillian Doyle's life turns upside down after she learns that her entire existence has been filled with secrets and pretenses. Her "widowed mother" wasn't married to her father, her father recently died in jail, and she may just have become "a swindler's daughter and heiress"!

The Swindler's Daughter is listed as historical fiction but it's also a study of emotions. Lillian is shocked to learn the truth about her parents, and she's forever changed by the startling revelations. Is it any wonder that she thinks that "her entire life was a sham"? Stephenia H. McGee grabbed my attention from the beginning with this intriguing story that's set in Georgia in 1912, during the time when Prohibition was law, bootleggers thrived, and corruption existed. This is a captivating book and I recommend it to all who enjoy historical Christian suspense.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. There was no obligation for a favorable review.

Title: The Swindler’s Daughter
Author: Stephania McGee
Pages: 352
Year: 2023
Publisher: Revell
My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.
Lillian Doyle has arrived in Dawsonville, Georgia, to claim her inheritance from a father who has recently died. However, Lillian’s mother has claimed him dead for all of Lillian’s life. She longs for a family as her relationship with her mother is cold and distant, even though Lillian loves her mother. Upon arrival in town, she discovers the house her father left her is already inhabited by a woman who claims the house was promised to her son, Jonah. The woman, Melanie, refuses to leave. Lillian doesn’t want to throw anyone out on the street, so she agrees to let the family stay while she sorts through her father’s belongings. Lillian has no plans to stay once this task is done.
As she sorts through her father’s things, she discovers a ledger with mysterious notations. She has no idea what they mean but thinks it might be important. Jonah has helped her sort through some things while his mother continues in her insistence that God has told her to plan on opening a bakery on the first floor of the house. Lillian once had a dream of opening a bookstore, and as she listens to Melanie begins to think she might be able to realize her dream. She might decide to stay in Dawsonville and never return to Atlanta. Then, an intruder surprises Lillian one night. What was he doing in the house? On another occasion, the house is ransacked. What is going on?
Negatives: The title of the story is misleading as there was no swindler, which is someone who cheats someone else out of something. Jonah whined a lot about his plans never working out. The story spent too much time talking about home renovations that slowed the pace of the story, making it boring in some portions.
Positives: I loved Alma. She was welcoming, compassionate, sweet, and a good friend to Lillian. I also liked how the relationship between Melanie and Lillian progressed to that of a loving mother and daughter, a relationship that Lillian never received from her own mother. Melanie voiced godly wisdom, sometimes through funny analogies.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.

A society woman's world falls apart when she discovers that her mother kept a HUGE secret from her. Her father had been alive her whole life and had only recently passed away, living her his entire estate. Her mother refuses to answer her questions and forces Lillian to go to his hometown, settle the estate, and bring back the money. When Lillian arrives she discovers that her father's house has already been spoken for by her relative's friends and that her father's business partner seems less than scrupulous. While trying to get to the bottom of everything she starts to get a pang in her heart and wanting to stay. She has new found family, she is loving the independence she has without her overbearing mother, and there is a certain handsome man that has entered the picture. A slow burn historical romance with intrigue. A wholesome inspirational read that will enchant readers and open hearts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a story of romance, adventure and a bit of mystery to make the story interesting and hard to put down.

Taking Control!

Until 1912, Lillian lived a sheltered life while her domineering mother has arranged everything, including her upcoming marriage.

Suddenly, everything changes. All her life, Lillian has been told her father was dead, when in fact, he just passed away. Although he never reached out to her, he has left his home and half of his business to her. Lillian's mother sends her to Dawsonville, by herself, to settle the will, sell everything quickly, and bring home the cash.

Never having been on her own, Lillian quickly finds herself over-her-head. She discovers her father's house is already occupied, and the family refuses to leave. Additionally, mystery surrounds her father's business as she cannot easily ascertain what it is.

Melanie Peterson believes it is God's will for Lillian to change the course of her life, and relocate to Dawsonville. After Lillian is attacked, the sheriff's department seems to do nothing. When something else happens, Lillian has her doubts that the sheriff will help her, that he might even be in league with the one behind the attacks.

Lillian is happy to discover she has an aunt and a cousin who welcome her to the family with open arms. She also meets Jonah when he runs into her and knocks her to the ground. He seems to be everywhere she goes, and is always angry with her.

Will Lillian be able to stand up to her mother, and make decisions based on what she wants, instead of what her mother pushes her to do? Will Lillian be falsely accused of wrongdoings, and be put into jail? Will Lillian return home and marry the man her mother picked out?

This five-star story includes murder, mystery, and humor. It will keep you turning the pages until the end, and will be enjoyed by fans of intrigue, and well-written tales.

Thank you, Revell Books, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.

I am so glad I read this historical fiction book! I absolutely loved it. It was absolutely captivating to me. I loved the plot, the characters and just everything! The mystery and romance kept me feeling engaged. I enjoyed how they trusted in God's plan for them and so yes, it is a Christian read. Lillian was appealing to me as the protagonist character and all the personalities she had to deal with, including her mother. I found the book was hard for me to stop reading and finished it too quickly! I will be looking out for more from this author!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve never read anything by Stephania McGee before. I’m always excited to read a new author, especially if that author becomes a repeat for me. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case here. The Swindler’s Daughter wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t good. It was super predictable and a whole lot of telling, not showing. I was bored and really struggled to finish.½

When I was a tweenager (many, many years ago), I had an obsession with horses. My room was filled with horse posters and figurines, and anytime one of my friends who owned a horse invited me to ride, I was there. So, when I saw Stephania H. McGee’s first book with Revell was about a horse farm, I was interested. Add in the title: The Secrets of Emberwild, and I was going to read this book.

McGee writes wonderfully vivid descriptions. She was either raised around horses or did meticulous research to make those scenes authentic. I also appreciated that some of her minor characters didn’t turn out to be as cliché as other books usually make the characters in those roles.

I was, however, a bit disappointed in the story overall. I never really connected with Nora. In fact, sometimes she annoyed me. The romance was as well developed as I prefer (but I did appreciate the ending of this story).

In the end, this was an average read for me. Nothing to really make the book stand out in the sea of other options out there. But other readers may enjoy meeting Nora and Silas.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.

I have always loved reading books from Stephenia H McGee and was excited to have the opportunity to read her newest release, The Swindler's Daughter. I was far from being disappointed. This is one of my favorites I have read by her and one of the top ten reads of the year for me. I adored the characters, Jonah and Lillian. I loved the setting and thought the plot to be a unique one that had me delightfully entertained from start to finish.

I am giving The Swindler's Daughter a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers and fans of clean historical romance. As always, I will be looking for more stories like this from Stephenia H McGee in the future.

I received a paperback copy of The Swindler's Daughter from the publisher, but was not required to write a review, nor a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Lillian has been led to believe her father died years ago, so when she gets notice that he died and left his estate to her, she is shocked. Her mother who has controlled everything in her life thus far, decided to send Lillian to get things settled, sold off and to return to Atlanta to then marry the man that has been chosen for her and they will have no worry of funds after all this. Lillian being sent on her own, finally has the freedom to make her own choices, and quickly decides that her mothers perfect plan isn't quite what she wants in life and gets herself tangled in her father's affairs and has to prove her innocence on what her father's intentions really were. I really enjoyed this story line, and loved the characters the author used to complete this story. There was a bit of mystery as well as one finding themselves. Often we question why bad things happen or how things happen and this resonated well in the story and often reminding us that things happen for a reason and often God does have a plan, and trust needs to be given. Thank you to the Revell Blogger program for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.