✧ Book Review ✧ The Midnight Carousel (A Forest Falls Frolic) by Hanna Park

  

Belle Stanhope had plans. Good plans. Practical plans.

None of them involved Hudson Carver.

The florist with the crooked smile had become a distraction she neither wanted nor could avoid. Which was inconvenient, considering the Pretty River Inn and the upcoming bachelor auction left little room for distractions.

For years, Hudson had been content with the life he'd built beneath Christmas Mountain. His flower shop, his workshop, and the friends who had become family were more than he'd ever expected. Then he met Belle Stanhope.

As Christmas approaches, the carousel's calliope sings off-key, and the old magic he'd left behind stirs once more. The life he'd built and the life he wants are no longer the same.

In Forest Falls, wishes have a way of finding the people who need them most.

✧ Review ✧

I had such a good time with this book. The Midnight Carousel is one of those reads where you settle in expecting romance and Christmas, and then Forest Falls starts doing its thing and you just have to go with it.

Belle and Hudson were great fun, particularly when Belle's feelings got the better of her. The raffle was a perfect example. I could see exactly where things were heading and still sat there thinking, Belle, what are you DOING? Apparently, when Hudson is involved, good judgement can become rather expensive!

That was one of the things I liked about Belle. She isn't permanently sensible or perfectly composed. She gets flustered, makes impulsive decisions and occasionally has to live with the consequences. It made her fun to follow, particularly when other people were around to witness it all.

The Christmas side of Forest Falls is lovely, but there is also something decidedly peculiar about the place. The further I read, the less surprised I became when something happened that really shouldn't have been possible.

And then there is Hudson. I won't say what is going on with him because finding out for myself was far too much fun to spoil it for anyone else. I certainly didn't guess correctly, and once the truth began coming out, the story went somewhere I hadn't anticipated at all.

By the time I finished, I had thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Forest Falls. The Midnight Carousel is funny, romantic, Christmassy and just odd enough to make it stand out from the usual festive reads.

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Hanna Park

I began my writing career in the pre-dawn of a winter morning while my husband snored like a train. We could call my husband the catalyst. If it weren’t for him, I would never have gone to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, feed the cat, and sit on the loveseat in front of the fire. It was there, in those moments of wondrous quiet, that I did something I had never thought possible. I opened my laptop, and while the coffee went cold, I wrote a story. My husband had no idea that these sojourns to the loveseat in front of the fire would become a daily occurrence, that writing would become an obsession, but the cat knew. She knows everything.

I write stories that make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love. Thank you, friends, for reading!

In the beginning, there was an empty page.

I am a writer who lives in Muskoka, Canada, with a husband who snores, a hungry cat, and an almost perfect canine––he’s an adorable little shit.

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✧ Book in the Spotlight ✧ Renaissance Rivals by Karen Essex

 

 Renaissance Rivals 

By Karen Essex

Wednesdays, July 29th - August 19th, 2026

Publication Date: July 18th, 2026
Publisher: Kleopatra Books
Pages: 311
Genre: Historical Fiction

Renaissance Rivals, the long-awaited sequel to the global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, brings to life the brutal rivalry between two of history’s most fascinating women: Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, celebrated in her own lifetime as “The First Lady of the World,” and Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara, daughter of the infamous Pope Alexander VI and one of the most maligned women in history.

Before the doomed duchess of Maggie O'Farrel's The Marriage Portrait, there were women who built the courts, forged the alliances, and turned power into art. Renaissance Rivals invites readers to step back one generation into the glittering, dangerous world that shaped the Italy of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Niccolò Machiavelli.

Pitted against each other by the ruthless political landscape and by the men they loved, Isabella and Lucrezia must learn how to survive in a world where women are treated as prizes, pawns, and weapons. Their battle is intimate, brilliant, and borders on the fatal, a war fought with jewels, letters, seduction, betrayal, and the strategic intelligence of women who refuse to disappear.

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Karen Essex

Karen Essex is the national and international bestselling author of Run, Darling, Kleopatra, Pharaoh, Leonardo's Swans, Stealing Athena, Dracula in Love, and Bettie Page: Life of a PinUp Legend.

All feature iconic women—powerful women that seduced the world and ruled it. Essex is also an active screenwriter and speaker, and an award-winning journalist.

She divides her time between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Europe. Her novels are published in twenty-nine languages.

Leonardo’s Swans, the prequel to Renaissance Rivals, was a runaway bestseller in Italy and won the prestigious Premio Roma for Foreign Fiction.

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✧ Book in the Spotlight ✧ The Duty of Daughters – El Deber de las Hijas – by Wendy J. Dunn

 

The Duty of Daughters

Falling Pomegranate Seeds, Book #1

By Wendy J. Dunn

Publication Date: November 17th, 2019
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Pages: 310

Genre: Historical Fiction / Tudor Fiction

Spanish Version:
Publication Date: June 1st, 2026
Publisher: Libros de Seda S.L.
Pages: 320

Castile, 1490.

Doña Beatriz Galindo is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A holy war pushing the Moors out of territories ruled by them for centuries.

Beatriz does not want a life like other women. She desires power over her own destiny. Even if this means walking a far harder road.

A passionate and respected scholar, Beatriz serves her friend Queen Isabel of Castile as her advisor. She also tutors the queen’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon.

Dedicated to Queen Isabel and her children, Beatriz guides the young Catalina of Aragon to walk her own hard life road.

But can she prepare Catalina to be England’s queen?

Finalist in the 2020 CHAUCER Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.

Praise for The Duty of Daughters:

"This is a captivating read, written with heart, significance and sensibility. Dunn is a careful writer. She doesn't exploit her characters; rather, she explores them and brings us along for the journey. This is a novel researched with integrity, and Dunn reaches out and lands beautifully in the winner's circle."
~ Historical Novel Reviews

"This profoundly moving story helps us appreciate today's more enlightened world. The Duty of Daughters is historical fiction at its best!"
~ Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Wendy J. Dunn

Award-winning Australian author of Tudor historical fiction, specialising in Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon novels.

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author, playwright and poet fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of her first Anne Boleyn novel narrating the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their own holdings. It seems likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

Her second novel, The Light in the Labyrinth, set during final days of Anne Boleyn's life, revisits the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of her niece Catherine Carey. The Duty of Daughters and All Manner of Things tells the story of Katherine of Aragon. Shades of Yellow tells the story of a woman writing a novel about Amy Robsart.

All Dunn's award-winning works weave together the lyricism of poetry with the pulse of history, creating stories of love, loss, and the endurance of the human spirit.

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✧ Book in the Spotlight ✧ Dragonslayer's Valkyrie: The Legend of Sigurd and Brynhildr by Jennifer Ivy Walker

Dragonslayer's Valkyrie: 

The Legend of Sigurd and Brynhildr

 By Jennifer Ivy Walker

Publication Date: June 21st, 2026

Publisher: Green Mermaid Publications

Pages: 388

Genre: Viking Historical Romance

Last of the Völsung line of kings descended from Odin, Sigurd is one of the elite Sjórúlfar—the fearsome Sea Wolves of southern Norway. Endowed with the divine blood of the wolf, he seeks glory at the Sólhjarta Summer Solstice Tournament to avenge his father’s death.

Brynhildr, daughter of the Raven King, is the Sun Falcon shieldmaiden and gifted seeress who has glimpsed her fate as a Valkyrie in a seiðr vision. When her father decrees she must wed the tournament’s champion, she summons Freyja for guidance—only to learn her future is bound to Sigurd.

As the Norns tighten the intricate threads of fate, Brynhildr must guide Sigurd toward his destiny as a dragonslayer—by defying the web of wyrd and incurring the wrath of Odin.

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Jennifer Ivy Walker

Jennifer Ivy Walker has an MA in French literature and is a former high school teacher and professor of French at a state college in Florida.  Her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, incorporating her lifelong study, summers abroad, and many trips to France.

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✧ Book in the Spotlight ✧ Marie Conner – A Leading Lady by Elle Mott

  

Marie Conner – A Leading Lady 

By Elle Mott

Publication Date: February 11th, 2026
Publisher: Luminare Press
Pages: 303

Genre: Historical Biographical Fiction / Historical Non-Fiction

Marie was born a girl. That was only her first mistake, according to her father.

    In an era when daughters and wives are not supposed to be concerned with matters outside the home, Marie is determined to prove him wrong. To do this, she must break down barriers placed on women in society, overcome difficulties that befall her, surpass hardships from the Great Depression, and then face an inevitable relocation.

         Marie steps into her community and into the hearts of many people to give her time and help with their needs. She wants nothing in return other than her father's acceptance as a worthy woman and yet, she gains much in return, even if it is not her father's praise. This is Marie’s story—of a rise from her girlhood angsts to become a leading lady—and much more.

This definitive biography is the empowering true story of one trailblazing woman who, in the mid-1900s in small-town America, changed her community and beyond for the better and forevermore.

Excerpt

Chapter 8 

To Follow Life’s Lead (1948).

Marie stood poised and sported a houndstooth dress with an ascot scarf that flowed and dropped perfectly just below her neckline. Her polite smile, accentuated by red lipstick with rounded corners, conveyed a benevolent charm as she welcomed guests to a teachers’ reception on Thursday evening, September 16. Parents and PTA members showed up in a record-breaking attendance to meet sixty-three teachers in the south wing of Lebanon High School. Parents were handed name tags to pin on their suit jackets, and teachers wore corsages.

Marie greeted each person as they walked in, and the total in attendance numbered more than two hundred. Once everyone was seated comfortably in the high school’s Little Theater, Marie stepped up to the podium and introduced herself as the 1948—49 PTA president. Her attentive audience listened as she next introduced the superintendent of the Lebanon schools, Mr. James King.

Mr. King’s speech emphasized the student population growth. They now had 950 grade school students, up from the previous year’s 622. The high school was no exception in that it had increased to 1,620 students. He also gave mention to Green Acres School, which would soon open. With an expressed appreciation for all that the PTA was doing, Mr. King recognized that they had their hands full. In all plausibility, Marie held her head high and nodded with a can-do-attitude.

It was a tall order, but she had successfully led a Red Cross fund drive as residential chairman and had managed the unit’s finances with the American Legion. She was accustomed to organizing events and assuming responsibilities. She knew that this PTA presidential term would experience many firsts in their membership pool. They now had room mother presidents not only in the two grade schools but also in the high school, along with a greater number of committees and chairman positions. And, as Mr. King had said, another grade school would open later that school year, which meant even more room mothers for Marie and her officers to lead. She knew she could lead the PTA. If only her father could also have known that.  

© Elle Mott 2026

Praise for Marie Conner – A Leading Lady:

"I enjoyed the fact that this was a personal story, since Marie was the author's great-grandmother. It was also wonderful to read about a time when women were honored for their charitable work and valued for being caring neighbors. In our age of materialism, we often lose sight of just how meaningful it can be to be part of a caring community. I especially appreciated the inclusion of several excerpts from Marie's articles describing the needs of others. Her willingness to serve was astonishing and inspiring. Those who enjoy reading the histories and personal stories of women, who are far too often overlooked, will enjoy Marie's story."
~ Samantha Wilcoxson, award-winning author of Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"A deeply powerful memoir detailing the life of Marie Conner and the struggles she encountered as a woman growing up in a male-dominated society. The level of detail in this story is astonishing; I felt as though I could step right into Marie’s shoes, experiencing her triumphs and setbacks alongside her."
~ Kayla Frederick, bestselling author. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Elle Mott

Elle Mott is a creative nonfiction author who weaves advocacy and strength into her writing, empowering readers to find their purpose.

“Marie Conner, A Leading Lady" is her third book. She is also the author of “Out of Chaos: A Memoir” and “People Helping People”. 

Her next book, releasing this fall, will be as a contributing co-author to “When Women Talk, Notes From the Future: What I Would Tell My Younger Self”. Her other publications have been featured in literary journals, news magazines, and anthologies.

She has a background working in libraries, both at the college level and, for more than ten years, at the public library in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. While library work is her livelihood, writing is her passion. 

Elle grew up in Oregon and now makes her home in the suburbs of northern Kentucky with two cats and several pet birds.

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