Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: The Fisherman's Bride

The Fisherman's Bride by Catherine Magia

Publication Date: November 2, 2016

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC, CreateSpace

Kindle & Paperback; 240 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Biblical Fiction/Christian Literature

READ AN EXCERPT.

She has no name. She is not even a footnote. Her tale is hidden behind the well-told fable of her husband, the man who would become Simon Peter, the first Apostle.

Cast off by her family after shunning a wealthy suitor to marry a humble fisherman, her life is fraught with hardship. She endures her husband’s growing restlessness, fish shortages from the Sea of Galilee, and the oppression of an all-powerful Roman Empire over her people. Then her life is forever changed when her dying mother is saved by a miracle performed by a young carpenter—a man who speaks with understanding and acts with compassion. A man who can inspire the extraordinary.

Simon Peter lives on in history as the undaunted martyr of the carpenter. This is the untold story of his young bride. Her journey traverses villages and deserts, love and tradition, and a brewing revolution, to an awakening of faith that challenges everything she has ever known.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Praise
"Catherine Magia has penned a moving Christian story that transcends religious boundaries--a novel that occupies the rare space between the historical and the Biblical realms. At once speculative and interpretive, Magia's vigorous first-person narrative of St. Peter's wife makes a compelling case for the life, motivation and spirituality of a minor, nameless Biblical character. An ambitious and impressive debut." -Andrew X. Pham, author of Catfish and Mandala and The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars

"Right from the start, the evocative and compelling tone of The Fishman's Bride casts its line and draws in readers with a deftness that borders on enchantment. Perhaps this is because Catherine Magia uses an uncommon perspective and outsider's view of events. And, by 'outsider,' this means observations that come from beyond Jesus' inner circle, yet are closely connected by love and association. Also included in the saga are stories of fortunes made and lost, faith thwarted and regained, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the impact of social and political change upon entire communities. Catherine Magia's attention to embracing the extent of daily living in Biblical times, from different methods of preserving fish to different attitudes encountered during their travels, brings the story to life.

Readers of Christian literature and Biblical retellings will find this story a powerfully written, compelling account of the impact of Jesus on all layers of society, narrated from the eyes of an outsider to his central group of believers who uses the ordinary life experiences of an unnamed wife to chronicle an extraordinary journey of love, faith, and miracles." -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review.

Review: I wanted to be part of this tour because I knew this was a book my mother would love. She's blind, and I read it too her, which was a unique experience for me, as well.

Catherine Magia's writing brings Simon, the apostle's, life so well, that you almost felt like you were in the story.

Simon's wife remains unnamed throughout the story, which lets you see how women were treated in that time. She went from a wealthy daughter to a poor women who was disowned by her father, because she refused to marry a wealthy merchant, instead choosing to be the wife of Simon and orphan, fisherman.

You see Simon's struggles at business, her loss of a child, and the desire of her husband and his brother to find someone that will save the Jews, from Judas to John the Baptist, finally to Jesus and how his finding Jesus changes his relationship with his wife.

It takes half the book to first encounter Jesus, but it was really enjoyable to see the fiction relationship that Catherine created with Simon and his wife, and later how she figured in with Jesus' ministry as we see in the gospels.

Simon's wife may be a nameless character, but she is a strong woman, and a character you won't soon forget.

This story was absolutely stunning and so well written. If you love biblical fiction this is an absolute must read. (My mother agrees) We are both looking forward to the continuation of the story.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author
Catherine Magia was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to New Jersey as a teenager. Although her formal education was in the hard sciences, Catherine has always maintained a passion for the written word, publishing her poetry in several literary journals including the Michigan Quarterly Review.

She discovered the voice of Simon Peter's wife on a soul-searching journey, a trek through the biblical lands of Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. She spent seven years researching and writing her debut novel, traveling as far as Ephesus, Turkey.

She is working on her second book - the conclusion to The Fisherman's Bride.

By day, she works as an associate director of marketing research in the development of new cancer medications. She is currently based in Boston.

For more information please visit Catherine Magia's website and blog.

Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, April 17
Kick Off at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, April 18
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Wednesday, April 19
Excerpt at Broken Teepee

Thursday, April 20
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Friday, April 21
Spotlight at The Paperback Princess

Saturday, April 22
Review at Rainy Day Reviews

Monday, April 24
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, April 25
Interview at Books, Dreams, Life

Wednesday, April 26
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, April 27
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Friday, April 28
Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog
Interview at Dianne Ascroft's Blog

Monday, May 1
Spotlight at Susan Heim on Writing

Tuesday, May 2
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, May 3
Review at WS Momma Readers Nook

Thursday, May 4
Review at Just One More Chapter

Friday, May 5
Review at Unabridged Chick

Giveaway
To win a copy of The Fisherman's Bride by Catherine Magia, please enter via the Gleam form below. Two copies are up for grabs!

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on May 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

The Fisherman's Bride

Tasty Book Tours Release Blast: The Right Fit

Maxine and Antony are about to discover a game of casual hook ups can 
lead to something neither one of them thought they deserved—the right fit.

THE RIGHT FIT

Daphne Dubois

Released April 12th, 2017

The Wild Rose Press

When Maxine Nicholls discovers her fiancé is cheating, she turns to fast food and nighttime soap operas, but her sister has a plan—unbridled rebound sex with a stranger.

As one of Toronto's hottest players, Antony Laurent tallies scores on and off the ice, but when the chiseled defense man hits a slump, rumors of a trade to the minor league send him to ambush a managers meeting at a posh club.

That night a chance encounter ends up as an unforgettable evening of passion. But Maxine and Antony are about to discover a game of casual hook ups can lead to something neither one of them thought they deserved—the right fit.

Daphne Dubois writes contemporary romance and believes the right book at the right time can make all the difference. When she's not putting her characters in compromising positions (ahem), she works as a registered nurse. A member of the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Eastern Canada, the most romantic place in the world.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Hard Hearted Highlander

Author: Hard Hearted Highlander
Title: The Pretender
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: April 25, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: A indomitable governess...a brooding Highlander...a forbidden affair...

An ill-fated elopement cost English-born governess Bernadette Kent her reputation, her fickle lover and any chance of a future match. She has nothing left to fear—not even the bitter, dangerously handsome Scot due to marry her young charge. Naive wallflower Avaline is terrified to wed Rabbie Mackenzie, but if he sends her home, she will be ruined. Bernadette's solution: convince Rabbie to get Avaline to cry off while ignoring her own traitorous attraction to him.

A forced engagement to an Englishwoman is a hard pill for any Scot to swallow. It's even worse when the fiancee in question is a delicate, foolish young miss unlike her spirited, quick-witted governess. Sparring with Bernadette brings passion and light back to Rabbie's life after the failed Jacobite uprising. His clan's future depends upon his match to another, but how can any Highlander forsake a love that stirs his heart and soul?

Review: I have to say Julia London is one of my favorite historical fiction writers. If I need a book that will give me joy, I look for something she's written.

This book didn't disappoint.

It comes with a fabulous heroine and a hero that just made my heart go pitter pat. I don't usually go gaga over characters in a book, but Rabbie, is just wonderful.

Like a lot of Julia's books, our characters aren't perfect. Both are rather flawed and injured so to speak. I think that's what I find enjoyable about all of her books. Things aren't always shiny and happy. No rose colored glasses here.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves historical romance

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: The Haunted Season

Author: G.M. Malliet
Title: The Haunted Season
Publisher: Constable
Publish Date: Oct 29, 2015
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb:  Something sinister is stirring at Totleigh Hall, the imposing manor house dominating the village of Nether Monkslip.

Usually, the lord and lady of the manor are absent for most of the year, but this year they have been in residence for some weeks now, and the villagers are hoping for a return to the good old days, when the lord of the manor sprinkled benefits across the village like fairy dust, building roads and repairing bridges and donating money to the upkeep of St Edwold's, while hosting splendid dinners at the Hall to which the vicar and the village doctor were invited by right and tradition.

Max Tudor's own invitation comes as a welcome novelty; it will be his first time meeting the famous family that once held sway in the area. The fact that they were famous for their eccentricities only adds to their appeal for the Anglican priest. But before he has time to starch his clerical collar and organize a babysitter, a sudden and suspicious death intervenes, and the handsome vicar's talent for sorting through clues to solve a murder is once again called into play...

Review: I am totally guilty in saying I judged this book by its cover, which looks like it should be a Burton film starring Johnny Depp as Max Tudor.

I more often than not jump into series at a midway point, because my library seldom has them all. This cover grabbed my attention and so did the blurb. When it came to reading the book, I have to say that this is one of those series, you probably should start at the beginning, because I found myself feeling clueless at times.

The story was very slowly paced. The murder didn't take place until you were a third of the way into the book. It gave you enough time to get to know the key players, but it also seemed like things were taking too long, much like the solving of crime.

Max is a former MI 5 agent who is now a vicar. That alone drew me to the story, because it just didn't seem a likely scenario.

We meet the residents of Totleigh Hall,  none of which were really likable, so when Lord Baaden-Boomethistle ends up murdered in a most gruesome manner, its easy to find places to point fingers. Both of his children, Peregrine and Rosamund have cause to dislike him and so does his 2nd wife Bree. (And seriously, where did these names come from?)

Max finds the body and DCI Cotton enlists him to help talk to possible suspects. A lot is uncovered in his interviews, giving the reader plenty of people that could have done it.

Then there are the day to day activities of his parish and many of the parishioners have their eye on the vicar, even though he is married with a young child.

The ending seemed hurried and the way other things were brought into play left me rather confused.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did.

Rating: 2 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Finding Our Forever

Author: Brenda Novak
Title: Finding Our Forever
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Publish Date: March 21, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: The search for her birth mother brought Cora Kelly to the New Horizons Boys Ranch. Getting a job there was easy enough, but confiding in Aiyana, the ranch's owner, that she's really her daughter? Cora's not sure she can do that, not unless she's confident the news will be welcomed. And once she gets to know Elijah Turner—Aiyana's adopted son and ranch manager—that decision becomes even more difficult.

Although Elijah can't deny his deep attraction to Cora, he's always struggled with trust. Anyone with his past would, and there's something about the ranch's newest employee that isn't exactly as it seems. But if the feelings she awakes in his guarded heart are any indication, she might be just what he's long been waiting for.

Review: Cora is a woman in search of her birth mother. I swear the adopted child storyline is being used an awful lot this year.

Aiyana is Cora's birth mother, but Cora isn't going to tell her that yet. Elijah is Aiyana's adopted son and his past is really unpleasant. It is really amazing that he's turned out to be a good man. He has instant chemistry with Cora.

If you aren't confused now...you are doing well. As much as I know that the only blood relation there is in this story is Cora and Aiyana, it still seems so not quite right to be attracted to the child your mother adopted.

I think that part keeps them from getting too close at first, but once they get together, you know that they are good for each other, though I didn't feel the relationship was well developed. They liked each other for superficial reasons. Elijah was good looking. He was a good man, despite haven't a rough childhood. He was good with kids. When Elijah and Cora were together, you didn't get much of them talking, just physical stuff, which is how they planned it, but they fall in love. (of course)

I have a hard time understanding why children that were adopted choose to hurt the family that gave them love. I almost felt like Brenda was trying to paint Cora's family in a slightly less than flattering light. Why wouldn't you tell them you were looking for your birth mother? I really found that Cora was trying to compare bother mothers. If I were Lily I would have been more than a little hurt by her actions. I think her family handled things more than well.

Then there was the situation with her ex, which left me wondering too.

The ending came with the proper closure, but it was wrapped up too nicely and with a happy little bow. I don't think real life would have been that perfect.

Overall, this was an OK read by Ms. Novak. I think its a little out of her comfort zone of writing. Special Editions are a shorter format than she's been writing lately. This story needed a bit more development to be on par with her other books.

Rating: 3 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Miss You

About Miss You

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harper (April 4, 2017)

"If ever a couple was ‘meant to be,’ it’s Tess and Gus. This is such a witty, poignant, and uplifting story of two lives crisscrossing over the years, with near miss after near miss. . . . I couldn’t put it down."—Sophie Kinsella

A wryly romantic debut novel with echoes of One Day that asks, what if you just walked by the love of your life, but didn’t even know it?

"TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE." Tess can’t get the motto from her mother’s kitchen knickknack out of her head, even though she’s in Florence on an idyllic vacation before starting university in London.

Gus is also visiting Florence, on a holiday with his parents seven months after tragedy shattered their lives. Headed to medical school in London, he’s trying to be a dutiful son but longs to escape and discover who he really is.

A chance meeting brings these eighteen-year-olds together for a brief moment—the first of many times their paths will crisscross as time passes and their lives diverge from those they’d envisioned. Over the course of the next sixteen years, Tess and Gus will face very different challenges and choices. Separated by distance and circumstance, the possibility of these two connecting once more seems slight.

But while fate can separate two people, it can also bring them back together again. . . .

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review:   Two words for you, Beach Read.

Seriously, buy this book, stick it in your bag and go sit in the sand. You won't want to leave your blanket or chair until this one is over.

The comparisons to One Day were a bit off putting for me, as that book didn't sit well with me when my friend made me read it years ago.

I found this one a bit different and a bit better. Definitely one that didn't totally make me want to through the book at the wall when I finished it. (One Day did that to me)

I liked that Tess and Gus felt like real people. They aren't always the best people but they are totally real.

Rating: 4 flowers

About Kate Eberlen

Kate Eberlen grew up in a small town thirty miles from London and spent her childhood reading books and longing to escape. She studied Classics at Oxford University before pursuing various jobs in publishing and the arts. Recently, Kate trained to teach English as a Foreign Language with a view to spending more time in Italy, a country she loves and has visited many times. Kate is married with one son.

Find out more about Kate at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Eggshells

About Eggshells

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: Melville House (March 14, 2017)

— Irish Book of the Year Finalist!

A whimsical, touching debut about loneliness, friendship and hope…

Vivian doesn’t feel like she fits in — and never has. As a child, she was so whimsical that her parents told her she was “left by fairies.” Now, living alone in Dublin, the neighbors treat her like she’s crazy, her older sister condescends to her, social workers seem to have registered her as troubled, and she hasn’t a friend in the world.

So, she decides it’s time to change her life: She begins by advertising for a friend. Not just any friend. She wants one named Penelope.

Meanwhile, she roams the city, mapping out a new neighborhood every day, seeking her escape route to a better world, the other world her parents told her she came from.

And then one day someone named Penelope answers her ad for a friend. And from that moment on, Vivian’s life begins to change.

Debut author Caitriona Lally offers readers an exhilaratingly fresh take on the Irish love for lyricism, humor, and inventive wordplay in a book that is, in itself, deeply charming, and deeply moving.

“This urban fairy tale delivers something that is both subtle and profound in its examination of the human soul. Magically delicious.”—Kirkus

“A whimsical jaunt through Dublin and a modern take on many old Irish folktakes…Humorous, charming, and original.”—Booklist

“Inventive, funny and, ultimately, moving.” — Claire Kilroy, The Guardian

“Full of action and humour as its beguiling narrator takes her surreal jaunts around the capital in search of a portal to another world…. The black comedy gives the book a jaunty quality that complements the dazzling trip around Dublin.” — Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times

“Delightfully quirky… Vivian’s voice alone is enough to keep us reading, charmed by her unique brand of manic, word-hoarding wit.” — The Irish Independent 

“The book’s style calls to mind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Engaging and humorous.” — The Dublin Inquirer

“This is a strange, lyrical, fantastical, and slightly disturbing book that left me feeling a bit dizzy each time I would read a few chapters… a fresh take on wordplay and humor… Vivian is a sympathetic, and utterly unforgettable, character.” — Jennifer Ohzourk, St. Louis Public Library

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Review: When a book starts with the main character mailing her aunts ashes to her various friends, you know the story is going to be unique.

Vivian was the kind of character that is sticks with you long after the story is done. 

In the midst of my own personal dilemmas this wasn't an easy read, though it was a short one. It has moments of hilarity and seriousness. OK sometimes things are really downright depressing with Vivian.

Its a book that you will definitely want to talk about because it makes you think. (Basically about how one woman could be so....erm....odd?) Vivian in a quest for a friend, advertises for one..and not just any one, she wants one called Penelope.

Yeah, she's a odd duck, Vivian is.

This is definitely a great book and weird...it ranks up there with The Roanoke Girls for unusual reads of 2017

Rating: 4 flowers

About Caitriona Lally

CAITRIONA LALLY studied English Literature in Trinity College Dublin.  She has had a colorful employment history, working as an abstract writer and a copywriter, as well as a home helper in New York and an English teacher in Japan. She has traveled extensively around Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America.  Caitriona was shortlisted for “Newcomer of the Year” in the Irish Book Awards in 2015.

Connect with Caitriona on Twitter.