Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Blog Tour/Review: A Place Called New Hope by Catherine McGreevy



About the Book


Genre:  Historical, Regency, Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: March 13, 2018

Prompted by her mysterious origins, young English heiress Letty Leighton seeks to establish a Utopian community called New Hope. To do this, however, Letty must marry African explorer Patrick Marlowe, an unconventional man who proves as hard to control as the residents of New Hope. Together they must confront an unknown enemy seeking to destroy both of their dreams. This inspirational romance novel belongs on the bookshelf next to books by Anita Stansfield, and Julianne Donaldson.


About the Author


Catherine McGreevy
Author of clean, inspirational fiction

The daughter of a foreign-service officer, Catherine McGreevy attended international schools in France, Spain, and Morocco. During her time abroad she learned to appreciate other cultures as well as the ideals that make America special. A true book-worm, she dreamed seeing her own novels on a shelf next to those of her favorite writers, including Mary Stewart and Elizabeth Peters.

After majoring in Communications (Journalism) with a minor in English at Brigham Young University, she later earned her Secondary Education Teaching Credential at Cal State Fullerton, and taught high-school and middle-school English before moving to Northern California.

A history buff, Catherine lives in Northern California’s gold country, where she has been known to don a bonnet and petticoats to re-enact the past with the Sierra Nevada Mormon Pioneers, appearing in parades and at Sutter’s Fort and the Gold Discovery site in Coloma.
Her first historical novel, Chance’s Bluff, was released by Cedar Fort Publishing in January, 2018. A Place Called New Hope follows in March.



Review

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. Letty is a headstrong young woman who is determined to help the poor, much to her father's dismay. She wants to create a utopian society where those living in less than desirable circumstances can work hard to own land and improve their lives. She finds a way to do that but isn't quite prepared for the challenges that come her way.

 Letty is a no nonsense kind of character who I had difficulty connecting with. I did like that she was different from most women I've read about during this time period. Patrick was likable and also not typical, so their interactions were refreshing. There were lots of other great characters, too: Simon, a young man who worked in the stables and was trying to create a better life; Henry, the hermit groundskeeper who was full of surprises; the citizens of New Hope, some of whom were easier to like than others.

This was an interesting subject matter--a utopian society in Victorian times. I liked the mystery that the author introduced which was always in the background. I also liked that Letty had some tough challenges to overcome. She had to learn to rely on others to help her through some of them. There were times where the story slowed down, but would pick back up. And I was interested to see how everything would come together in the end. I enjoyed the overall message of the book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

My Rating=3.5 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy via Singing Librarian Books, which did not affect my review in any way

Giveaway
Tour Wide Giveaway


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Comment on this blog for a chance to win an e-copy (International) of the book. Plus, if 10+ unique commenters post on the blog, another winner will be selected to receive a print copy of the book. Plus, if 10+ unique commenters post on this blog, one commenter will be selected to receive a print copy of the book in addition to the e-copy book winner. 

Respond to the following question: Have things improved for the poor in the last 150 years?  In what ways?

Tour Schedule

Posted by Melanie at 4:00 AM

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