Copper and Candles by Amber Stockton -- Book Review

Yearning to do more for those less fortunate than her, Felicity Chambers decides to do the unthinkable--she assists a pregnant woman who is on strict bed rest and takes her place working in a candle factory in Detroit's dangerous factory district.

Walking to work one day, she bumps into Brandt, a worker in the nearby copper factory. Their feelings soon blossom into more than friendship, but Felicity knows her parents would never allow her to marry a commoner.

What she doesn't know is that Brandt is hiding his true identity as well. When their secrets are revealed, it's possible they might never be able to trust each other again.

I've already read all three books in Stockton's Delaware Brides's series, which has been repackaged by the publisher and is now sold as the Liberty's Promise series with all three original stories now included in one book. I enjoyed the first book of this series so much that I ordered Copper and Candles at the same time I ordered the second two books in her original series.

Historical romance novels have long been a favorite of mine. That Stockton's work is also Christian romance makes them attractive to me, but the added attention to historical detail, the superb character development--which can be challenging in books of the required size in the Heartsong Presents line--and the obstacles Stockton places in her characters' way, keep me coming back to read more and more of her books.

Felicity is a young woman with her own mind. She uses her position in society to help those less fortunate, but really wants a chance to get her hands dirty. Along the way, she makes many friends; friends she never would have met as Felicity Chambers. Her parents don't approve, but they allow her to expand her wings a bit.

Brandt has responsibilities no one realizes. Also hiding his own identity, he ends up working in a copper factory. Very few people know who he really is or why he is working there under an assumed name.

These secrets are what bring Felicity and Brandt together, but neither knows the other person is anyone other than who she/he says she/he is. The reader follows along knowing at some point these secrets will be revealed. How Stockton develops the plot and brings the reader to this moment keeps a person flipping page after page. And once those secrets are revealed, the reader must follow along to see if Felicity and Brandt can accept the reasons for hiding those secrets and follow their hearts.

Copper and Candles by Amber Stockton is definitely a book I'll be reading again.


Title:  Copper and Candles
Author: Amber Stockton
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
ISBN-10: 1602603405
ISBN-13: 978-1602603400
SRP: $2.97

February Featured Novel - Quills & Promises by Amber Miller

If you're looking for a tender, historical romance novel look no further than Amber Miller's Quills & Promises.

Published by Heartsong Presents, this is the second book in Miller's Delaware Dawning series. In Quills & Promises, young Elanna Hanssen meets Major Madison Scott, but he is soon called away to fight in the French and Indian War. They stay in touch through their correspondence, but when Madison's integrity is called into question, Elanna recalls her brief time with Madison and must put her faith in God to decide if she should follow her heart.

I loved the characters in this novel. Elanna and Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables would have hit it off splendidly. Madison is torn by his contradicting feelings about the war, his duty, and his desire to see Elanna again. And Mr. Witherspoon, a reporter whose intentions Elanna is not always sure of, makes the perfect antagonist.

Read my full review here.

Deceptive Promises, the third book in Amber Miller's Delaware Dawning series is now available. Visit Amber online at www.ambermiller.com for more information.

Quills & Promises by Amber Miller--Book Review

A tender mixing of inspirational romance, historical figures and memorable fictional characters come together for an enjoyable read in Quills & Promises by Amber Miller. This is the second book in Miller's Delaware Brides series.

Set during the French and Indian War, young Elanna Hanssen unexpectedly meets up with Major Madison Scott, a visiting cousin of her best friend. Both Madison and Elanna are taken with each other, but he is soon called away to war. They must depend upon their correspondence to carry on their relationship and to learn more about each other, ever careful not to reveal too much, lest their letters fall into the wrong hands.

An unusual interest in the war puts Elanna in contact with Mr. Witherspoon, a young journalist for the Wilmington Journal. When he shares war reports that question Major Scott's integrity, Elanna must depend upon her initial meetings with Madison and her faith in God to help her decide if she should follow her heart.

As I read through Quills & Promises, I thought Elanna could have been Anne Shirley from Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic Anne of Green Gables. Elanna, like Anne, is constantly trying to reconcile what she would like to do with what is proper in society and for her age. This makes her a sympathetic character from the start. That sympathy increases when she is separated from Madison so quickly and later discovers he may not be the man she thought him to be. The reader is as eager to uncover the truth as Elanna is.

The strength of this book is definitely its characters. Madison is torn between his duty, his hatred of war, and his desire to see Elanna again. The camaraderie between Madison and the men in his regiment is something I very much enjoyed. Edric, Elanna's twin brother, is both protector and supporter of his twin, and ends up being crucial in Elanna getting information about the war. Mama understands Elanna's battle between her desires and what society allows, as well as, providing great insight into what Elanna must do in order to decide if she should follow her head or her heart. And Mr. Witherspoon, whose motives Elanna is not quite sure of, makes the perfect antagonist.

While the history buff in me would have enjoyed a few more historical details, since the writer is limited to a certain word count with Heartsong, that may not have been possible. The focus in these novels is always more on the romance--which this book certainly has from beginning to end as the reader watches the love between Elanna and Madison bloom across the miles.

Fans of inspirational romance and historical fiction will certainly want to read Quills and Promises by Amber Miller.


Title: Quills and Promises
Author: Amber Miller
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
ISBN: 978-1-60260-049-2
U.S. Price: $4.95