Mailbox Monday - February 3

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

This and the book below I borrowed from the library for research purposes. I haven't dug into the second one yet, but the first one opens with a fascinating look into the education of women in America in the early days and how Mount Holyoke Seminary, now Mount Holyoke College, was established.

I picked up a copy of Second Chance Christmas by Shawn Inmon as a freebie last week. This short story is currently 99 cents.

Sometimes, a Christmas miracle is needed.

Steve and Elizabeth have led lonely lives for many years. An unlikely encounter on a Christmas tree lot could change everything--if they have the courage to overcome a lifetime's doubt and fears.

I pre-ordered Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore before it came out. This book arrived last week. I'm a Downton Abbey fan, and the girl on the cover reminded me of Lady Sybil. It sounds fascinating. I can't wait to read it.

The year is 1911. And at The Manor, nothing is as it seems . . .

Lady Charlotte Edmonds: Beautiful, wealthy, and sheltered, Charlotte feels suffocated by the strictures of upper-crust society. She longs to see the world beyond The Manor, to seek out high adventure. And most of all, romance.

Janie Seward: Fiery, hardworking, and clever, Janie knows she can be more than just a kitchen maid. But she isn't sure she possesses the courage -- or the means -- to break free and follow her passions.

Both Charlotte and Janie are ready for change. As their paths overlap in the gilded hallways and dark corridors of The Manor, rules are broken and secrets are revealed. Secrets that will alter the course of their lives. . . forever.

Pearls and Poison, the latest Consignment Shop Mystery by Duffy Brown arrived as a total surprise last week, too. I hadn't requested it, but the publisher graciously sent it along and I'm thrilled.

It’s election time in Savannah, Georgia, and Judge Guillotine Gloria—aka Reagan Summerside’s mom—is neck and neck in the polls with Kip “Scummy” Seymour. But the already dirty campaign is about to get downright filthy—with one candidate getting buried six feet under…

With her strong opinions and knack for getting into trouble, Reagan is not an ideal volunteer for her mother’s alderman campaign. Plus, she’d rather be running her consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, and eating doughnuts with her dog, Bruce Willis. But when her mother’s opponent, Kip, is found poisoned and her mother is pegged as a suspect, Reagan nominates herself as lead murder investigator.

Reagan is intent on finding Kip’s killer and clearing her mother’s good name, but she soon finds herself on the bad side of Kip’s enemies-turned-suspects. This time, no amount of costumes and makeup can keep her inconspicuous and out of danger. Because the closer Reagan gets to the truth, the hotter things get…

That's it for this week. Hope you received some great titles too.