A SPARKLE OF SILVER
Georgia Coast Romance #1
by
LIZ JOHNSON
Genre: Contemporary / Romance
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: October 16, 2018
Number of Pages: 368
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Millie Sullivan plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of a palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where her great-grandmother was a real guest ninety years ago. When Millie learns of a lost diary that may contain the location of a hidden treasure on the estate and reveal the identity of her great-grandfather, she sets out to find the truth of her heritage — and the fortune she desperately needs. But it won’t be easy.
When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. Still, her story seems too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up.
Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight.
A Sparkle of Silver is a delightful mix of whodunit mystery, search for family heritage, treasure hunt, and both historical and contemporary romance. Told with humor, wit, and reflective of the author’s obvious love of books, of romance novels in particular, A Sparkle is the type of book I enjoy reading. I’m thankful to Lone Star Lit for introducing me to authors I wouldn’t have found on my own. This is the first book by Liz Johnson that I’ve read and as I always say, it wouldn’t be the last.
I took to Millie and Ben right away. Their separate introductions were highly affecting. Millie’s desperate need to provide for her Grandma Joy and Ben’s altruistic desire to make things right with her mother’s victims made me root for them immediately. The slow burn build-up of their attraction to each other was laid out at a proper pace. Their eventual fall into love at the end was hard-earned and well-deserved. More than jewels or properties, love was the greatest treasure they found.
I also enjoyed great-grandmother Ruth’s adventures in the ’20s told through journal entries. They’re integral to the story and brought another dimension to what is already a fascinating novel. The historical tidbits truly enriched the story and gave the reader a proper sense of time and place.
There are actually quite a number of named characters in this book, both from the past and the present, but each is distinct, all contributed to the plot, and nobody overshadowed the main characters. Grandma Joy is, of course, adorable and so was Carl, Ben’s boss.
One other thing I appreciate is that for all that A Sparkle of Silver is categorized as a Christian romance, the discussion of faith is subtle, not preachy at all.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“You’re not the bad choices you may have made. You’re who you are right now, and you’re the next decision you make.”
“Maybe a person’s story wasn’t like a book that became useless after the pages were too worn to read. It wasn’t about how much that person could remember. It was about how many lives they had touched. It was about making a difference in the little ways.”
“Real love isn’t love because it’s easy or always feels good. It’s love because you choose not to be self-serving.”
PRAISE FOR A SPARKLE OF SILVER:
“A mystery, a treasure hunt, and a split-time romance—all set within a beautiful chateau. What more could we want?”
~ Katherine Reay, author of Dear Mr. Knightley and A Portrait of Emily Price
“A charming romance about real people triumphing over real problems. Add in a dash of mystery, a treasure hunt, and old family secrets, and you have a story that will warm every corner of your heart.”
~ Victoria Bylin, award-winning author of Together with You
“Lovers of history will enjoy this treasure-seeking adventure through a historic estate, and readers will appreciate a story that turns up riches of the lasting kind.”
~ Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Honeysuckle Dreams
CLICK TO PURCHASE
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Liz Johnson is the author of more than a dozen novels, including The Red Door Inn, Where Two Hearts Meet, and On Love’s Gentle Shore, as well as a New York Times bestselling novella and a handful of short stories. A marketing manager for a Christian film company, she makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
GRAND PRIZE: Print Copy of A Sparkle of Silver, a Tin of Georgia Peach Cookies, a Handmade Wooden Treasure Box;
SECOND PRIZE: Print Copy + $25 B&N Gift Card;
THIRD PRIZE: Print Copy + $10 Starbucks Gift Card
OCTOBER 10-19, 2018
(U.S. Only)
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
10/16/18 Author Interview Book Fidelity 10/16/18 Bonus Notable Quotable Hall Ways Blog 10/17/18 Excerpt Story Schmoozing Book Reviews 10/18/18 Review That's What She's Reading 10/19/18 Character Interview Chapter Break Book Blog 10/20/18 Review StoreyBook Reviews 10/21/18 Playlist All the Ups and Downs 10/22/18 Review Reading by Moonlight 10/23/18 Excerpt Books and Broomsticks 10/24/18 Review Missus Gonzo 10/25/18 Review Carpe Diem Chronicles
Welcome to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England. Tressa Harlowe’s father kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it.
“Everyone loves a treasure hunt—pair it with a heroine you can’t help but love, a hero you can’t help but swoon over, and a family mystery that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, and you end up with A Rumored Fortune. This book is a treasure in itself and one you won’t be able to put down!”—Roseanna M. White, bestselling author of the Ladies of the Manor series and Shadows Over England series
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