Silk and Sensibility | September Book Club

I’ve always been swept away by the writings of Jane Austen.

I can’t tell you how many hours of my life has been spent pouring over the pages of her novels imagining myself to be one of her characters… She clearly had an influence on the author of my September book club pick as well.

Silk and Sensibility by Mengxi Seely, is a historical romance novel that reimagines Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility in 16th-century, Ming-dynasty China.

Not only does it transport you back in time, you’ll be immersed in Chinese culture and traditions as lived by two sisters you’ll come to know very well. As sisters usually are, you’ll find them to be simultaneously alike in many ways yet strikingly different in others.

Nineteen-year-old Ailin is torn between duty and desire. Following her father’s death, her family must rely on the wealthy Jiang clan for financial survival. Though Ailin knows she must marry strategically to help her family, her heart has already been captured by the poor but gentle scholar Enze. When his family opposes their union, Ailin knows she must hide her feelings from everyone until she can strengthen her dowry and stand on her own terms.

Meilin encourages her older sister to fight for her personal desires, but Meilin’s romantic ideals conflict with Ailin’s devotion to duty. Meilin believes in being honest about one’s feelings regardless of what others may think, and she unabashedly pursues a charming playwright while also clashing with a frustratingly handsome but gruff army captain.

The sisters would do anything to help the other find happiness, but their assumptions about restraint and passion are as different as earth and sky. Ailin feels honor bound to her family yet is unable to deny her love for Enze, even as circumstances push them further apart, while Meilin grapples with unexpected feelings for Captain Bai and societal restrictions that leave little room for her own hopes.

I encourage you to take a cue from summer as it slips away into autumn… Slip away yourself, into a cozy corner, sip some tea, open this beautiful book and let a new world unfold before you.

Who will you most relate to, Ailin or Meilin? What would you do if you found yourself in their situation? What advice would you give them? Such a delicate balance they must strike in order to find their place in society and achieve a personal level of happiness.

Pre-Order: Silk and Sensibility

(available September 15th, 2026)

Beneath A Crescent Shadow | June Book Club

“Beneath A Crescent Shadow”

New month, new book club pick!

“Beneath A Crescent Shadow” is from a genre I share with you a lot, historical fiction, but instead of a Victorian period piece, this one goes way way back to the Ottoman Empire toward the end of the dark ages.

Author A.L. Sowards has obviously done an incredible amount of research to be able to depict the era with such realism and fascinating detail.

“After an arranged marriage, Konstantin and Suzana must find a way to meet the demands of a conquering Ottoman sultan amid a torrent of setbacks and dangers much closer to their Balkan home.

The Balkans, 1373
A devastating battle claimed the lives of Konstantin’s father, uncle, and most of their Serb army, leaving him to rule as a vassal of the Ottoman sultan, a role he is wholly unprepared for. Between war, famine, and a persistent band of brigands, Konstantin is nearly bankrupt. He will need to find a wealthy bride to marry if he is to have any hope of saving his lands and securing his future.

A betrothal to Suzana, the daughter of a prosperous merchant, is soon arranged, and upon meeting her, Konstantin immediately feels hope that their marriage could someday grow into love. Yet, from the moment of Konstantin and Suzana’s betrothal, enemies threaten their lives, outlaws prey on their lands, and the terrors of Suzana’s abusive past haunt their fragile new relationship. As this onslaught of threats closes in, the two face challenges that will test their love, their faith, and their hope to save their people and win their freedom from the heavy weight of Ottoman oppression.”

Although it’s an arranged marriage, neccessary because Konstantin needs the wealth Suzana’s dowry will bring to him and his floundering kingdom, I loved that our two main characters fall for one another at their first meeting. I was cheering them on from the beginning!

As a reader I too felt the cold realities of the period, wartime, and the duties and expectations placed upon the young rulers. And, as each is only human, they must also overcome personal struggles, learn and grow as individuals, and find their place in a brutal world. When hope is a meager commodity, the ability to trust in one another helps them to work through past and current traumatic events, staying resolved and steadfast in their love and the execution of their overwhelming responsibilities.

It’s action-packed, with epic nail-biting battles too. History is so much more interesting when there’s a romance to guide you through it! Just the thing to take out into the garden or tuck into a beach bag.

“Beneath A Crescent Shadow, The Balkan Legends” is Book 1 in a new series, and once you’ve cracked the cover, your going to want to read them all! I know I do!

Order: “Beneath A Crescent Shadow”

The Art of Love and Lies | August Book Club

Last month I dropped multiple books titles on you hoping summer would inspire you take some time to lose yourself between the pages of a good story (or three!). This month we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming, and I’m sharing just one; one really GOOD one!

It’s a work of historical fiction entitled,The Art of Love and Lies, by Rebecca Anderson.

In it, a free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michelangelo painting.

”Manchester, England, 1857

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in England opens in Manchester, Rosanna is excited to visit. She meets the handsome Inspector Martin Harrison, who is head of security, and is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and portrait-worthy good looks.

The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art, and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

But when they discover the theft of some of the paintings—and all the evidence points to Rosanna—she must convince Inspector Harrison she is innocent and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michaelangelo’s The Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Inspector Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to paint their own happily ever after.”

I hope some part of each day finds you parked in the coolness of a big shade tree - or at least in front of an air conditioning unit! And when those moments arrive, I hope you’ve got a chilled beverage beside you and a book in your hands!

The Art of Love and Lies is the perfect story to get lost in while the heat of August rolls over us. Get your copy today!

ORDER: The Art of Love and Lies