Beguiling women in history and one modern heroine

The Paris Dressmaker

Kristy Cambron

The Paris Dressmaker follows two women during the Nazi occupation of Paris during WWII. One is Lila de Laurent, a couture dressmaker who caters to the “kept” women involved in relationships with Nazi officers. The other is Sandrine Paquet, a wife and mother whose job is to catalog works of art stolen from Jewish families before they are shipped off to Berlin. Both find ways to join La Resistance, the underground network secretly sabotaging the German war effort. The story highlights important contributions Parisian women made during the war and how their faith got them through four very tough years. A compelling read slightly hampered by confusing dual narratives and an abundance of unfamiliar foreign words.

Husband Auditions

Angela Ruth Strong

Meri Newberg is the last single lady in her friend group. When someone gives her a magazine article from the 1950s—a silly list of ways to attract a husband—she decides to try some of them. Her brother’s roommate, Kai Kamaka, convinces her to let him film her attempts to find a man for his YouTube channel, hoping his editing skills will advance his career as a cameraman for a popular television show. They attract a large audience, but sometime during the project Kai realizes he doesn’t want Meri to find a husband, as he’s fallen for her himself. However, it will take some convincing for Meri to see lazy, unmotivated Kai as husband material. A solidly Christian, modern rom-com with an unconventional ending.

The Lady’s Mine

Francine Rivers

When Boston-bred Kathryn Walsh arrives in 1875 in the wild mining town of Calvada to claim an inheritance left by her late uncle, she causes quite a stir. The young woman is determined to resurrect her uncle’s newspaper office and retain ownership of his worthless mine. Most folks are aghast at her bold venture into men’s business. Matthias Beck, owner of a hotel and saloon, feels a keen responsibility for Kathryn. For one, she’s his dead friend’s niece, and two, she’s bound to get herself in trouble and possibly murdered like her uncle. A mutual attraction grows, but Kathryn has no interest in losing her independence to marriage. Her headstrong influence leads Matthias to renew his faith in God.

The Debutante’s Code

Erica Vetsch

Returning to 1816 London after years of schooling in Switzerland, Lady Juliette Thorndike is excited to make her debut in society. But disappointment overshadows her enthusiasm when her parents aren’t home to greet her. Soon she learns her parents are living secret lives as agents for the Crown. With her uncle’s training, she joins the family trade as a spy while maintaining her debutante façade. But how can she sustain her Christian faith when she lies to everyone she knows? Meanwhile a string of burglaries and a murder have detective Daniel Swann running all over London. As Lady Juliette seems to have ties to each crime, he suspects she’s not an innocent debutante. First book in a series.