The Series I'm Reading - The House of Oak

​ Finished Memorial Day Weekend
This isn’t really part of the House of Oak series, but it could be. I met Belle Heartstone in Book 3. She was once engaged to Timothy, Viscount Linwood. Then Jasmine Fleury arrived and saved them from a match neither one wanted. Belle is also distantly related to Sebastion Carew from Book 2, so she really could be part of the series.

Belle’s story begins a year after her broken engagement. She’s determined to choose her own husband, and she picks Colin Radcliffe, the new Marquess of Blake, after much research. He turns her down, saying they both deserve to marry someone they know and respect. He even suggests the unbelievable – that she doesn’t need to marry.
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That sets the stage for an unusual relationship – they become business partners. Belle starts the partnership – anonymously. It’s the beginning of an unexpected friendship. You’ll have to read to find out how the adventure ends, and her identity is uncovered. 
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                                                                       Some of My Favorite Parts:

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1. The Riddles – Belle and Colin conduct business through letters, from England to India, and back again. Each letter ends with a riddle. Don’t worry, if you don’t see the answer. You’ll find it in the Author’s Notes.

2. Occam’s Razor – Have you heard of it? Colin had. He knew the simplest solution to a problem was probably correct. It helped him figure out Belle’s identity.

3. Belle’s best line – “She really needed to reassess how much bad literature she consumed.” It cracked me up!

4. Colin’s best action – “Colin slashed another dandelion with his walking stick . . .” When you have to take a whack at a dandelion, you know you’re having a bad day.
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5. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – The quote came from Socrates who chose death over losing intellectual debate. Colin wants it on his tombstone – he believes in being brutally honest, even with himself.

6. Marriage – When Belle married during the Regency period, she lost her rights to a husband. Her money and her very freedom belonged to him. Choosing well – critical!

7. “Seeing someone” – Both Belle and Colin think they really know each other, but they need to refocus to see each other down to the core.

8. Belle’s initials “LHF” – In the beginning they stand for ‘Little Heart Full.” But by the end they’ve changed to something better, a gift Colin unknowingly gave her. 

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​Amazon’s Description:
Miss Belle Heartstone—heiress and savvy businesswoman—needs a husband. Immediately. As in, yesterday would not have been soon enough. Her mother’s attempts at matchmaking have been disastrous. So Belle decides to solve the problem her way—survey the market and purchase the best groom available.

Colin Radcliffe, Marquess of Blake—debt-ridden and penniless—needs a large infusion of cash. Desperately. Preferably cash that does not come with a wife attached. It is no surprise, then, when he receives Miss Heartstone’s brazen proposal—her cash, his title, their marriage—that he politely declines.

But before he leaves her, Blake suggests something truly radical: Maybe before finding a husband, Belle should find herself.
His simple words send them both on an unexpected journey, spanning continents and years, entwining their lives in ways neither could have foreseen. Can two lonely souls move past societal expectations and forge a unique life together?

Please note: The basic storyline of Seeing Miss Heartstone was originally published as a novella titled, An Invisible Heiress, in the Spring in Hyde Park anthology. This current novel is a greatly expanded version of that plot, adding over 200 pages of text and creating a more robust, well-developed story.

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Finished Late April
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Do many books come into being because readers ask? Not many, but this one did because they wanted a happy ending for Daniel Ashton. It came years after Book 4. Perhaps Nichole needed that time to come up with a character and a problem to fit the time portal.

The female lead – Fossi Lovejoy. What a great name! Fossi is unusual – she’s a genius at math, but her family thinks she’s just plain odd.  Her value must equal whatever they put into keeping her alive. Ouch! Can you imagine your family saying that? Double Ouch!
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Fossi tells the story, even though Daniel appeared in two earlier books. Her name is an Italian verb for something that no longer exists. This line got me – “Wouldst that I had been . . .” Imagine questioning your own being? No wonder Fossi loves math and numbers – They don’t lie, like people do.
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We get to know Daniel through Fossi as she watches his actions and tries to understand him. Daniel is a professional plasterer – he’s always trying to patch the walls in his world. He’s also not the only one who can see behind masks and walls. Fossi can, and she wonders if his defenses are shaped like a monolith or more like a maze. 
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I’ve written a lot about character, but nothing on plot. Fossi enters the story to solve a mathematical problem with the portal. It’s key to the story, with a creative twist.
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I thought Book 5 didn’t have back matter. I’m glad it does! Fourier’s Nemesis is Fossi’s math problem, and I wondered if it was real . . . Well, partially! This is Joseph Fourier. He was a French mathematician/physicist who worked on waves, heat transfer, and vibrations. His work is known as the Fourier Series. And the Nemesis theory – Nichole made it up. Brilliant!
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Amazon’s Description:
Time is not a river. It is a vast cosmic sea, where each life exists as rippling circles on its surface. Usually, the eternal ocean oscillates in harmony, all lives breathing up and down as one. But something has broken this equilibrium, turning the cosmic ocean into turbulent waters . . .

In 1828, Daniel Ashton, Lord Whitmoor, faces a problem of epic proportion—an earthquake has caused the time portal in Duir Cottage to stop functioning, disrupting the cosmic ocean and threatening Time itself. He needs a computer to crunch numbers and provide a solution. But with the time portal on the fritz, a computer is two hundred years in the future. So Daniel sets out to find the next best thing—an anonymous mathematical genius of legendary renown.

Fossi Lovejoy knows she is too odd, too intelligent, too old and too poor to ever marry. So she busies herself in her father’s ministry and her mathematical equations, choosing to focus on what she has, not what she lacks. But then Lord Whitmoor publishes one of her private theorems, taunting her to respond. Fossi is compelled to action—when you have so little in life, you defend the few things that are yours with ferocious tenacity. Even if it means matching wits with the infamous Lord Whitmoor.

Can two people past their youth find unexpected love? This final installment in the Amazon bestselling House of Oak series can easily be read as a stand-alone book. Check out the other books in the series:
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Finished 3/11/24
In Book 4, two characters finally take the lead. Timothy, Viscount Linwood was an unlikeable character in the first 3 books. Stiff, with no sense of humor. Now we learn why – he followed 313 rules. I’d be stiff too!

Jasmine Fleury was likeable, but barely mentioned in the other 3 books. I knew she was a free spirit, an artist. That she believed souls could find each other across time and space. Sounds like fantasy to me, and this story was a good one!

When Timothy comes forward to 2015, it’s Jasmine who discovers his back story. She helps him find himself. And it’s Timothy who helps Jasmine piece the past back together again. They’re a match made only in fantasies.

My favorite line – trust the process. I do as a writer, and in my own life. And it’s what Jasmine and Timothy do as they find themselves, and each other. Another favorite – you can advise others, but never yourself. So true!

I love back matter, where you find the ideas that shaped the story. Nichole Van researched King Arthur, Druids, foundlings, and English oak trees for this one. Did you know they could live for 1300 years? And that one small fact changed the course of this story!               
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​Amazon’s Description:  Each life is tethered to others, tendrils wrapping through time itself . . . drawing people to each other . . .

In 1815, Timothy, Viscount Linwood--handsome, arrogant, privileged--never veers from the refined rules of his world. Cheerfulness and other unsavory emotions are for lesser persons. Anything that smacks of trade is to be shunned. Honor and pride above all else. Consequently, when he discovers his estates are bankrupt, he decides to woo and marry an heiress post-haste. After all, love is for lesser-mortals. But Fate intervenes and draws him to a vibrant woman who makes him want things he can never have. Can a pompous lord change enough to find redemption?

In 2015, Jasmine Fleury just wants her happily-ever-after. If only she could stop losing people instead--her grandmother, boyfriends . . . and now her entire family. Worse, she finds herself babysitting a haughty nineteenth century lord who can't even shave himself. What grown man can't shave himself? She has no interest in playing damsel-in-shining-armor to his knight-in-distress. But Fate has other plans . . . .

This fourth installment in the Amazon bestselling House of Oak series can easily be read as a stand-alone book. Check out the other books in the series.

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Finished 1/23/24
Meet Book 3 from the House of Oak series. This time the main character is Mark, Emry’s brother. He’s barely mentioned in the other books. My guess – the author saved him for this one.

You’ll also meet James’ brother, Arthur and his wife, Marianne. They only play supporting roles in the story, sort of like furniture, but Marianne’s brother, Timothy, Viscount Linwood is much more interesting. He’s more than a member of the aristocracy. Read for yourself to find out how.

The best part of Nichole’s writing is her character development. She introduces two new ones in Book 3. Kit is the female lead, and both she and Mark time travel back to Duir Cottage. The portal has a reason for bringing them together. BTW, Kit is there to find her missing brother Daniel. He has the biggest reason for traveling back to 1814.

I’m usually a big fan of back matter. Nichole had some interesting tidbits, but I really wanted to know more about the spies, the War of 1812, and what was going on with Napoleon in 1814. I did run across a bit in another book because I’m researching the founding fathers, the ones who signed the Declaration, but unfortunately, I’m writing a chapter about someone who died in 1793. Shucks!
But would I recommend this book? Absolutely! I love a good historical romance, and this one adds in time travel too. I love two-fers!
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Amazon’s Description:
Fate will draw two people together, moving them through centuries if necessary. But even predestined lovers have the choice to walk away . . .

In 2014, Marc Wilde—martial artist and actor—finds his life a mess. His latest film, Croc-nami, is being trashed on social media, sending his acting career into a tailspin. His love life isn’t doing much better. And then there is the tiny matter of blackmail. Someone knows about the time portal in the cellar of Duir Cottage and is threatening to tell the world unless Marc pays up. So yeah . . . his life is not going so well.

In 1814, Kit Ashton has problems of her own. Her brother has disappeared (again), leaving Kit penniless and forcing her to take up employment as a lady’s companion (sigh). Worse, there are French spies in the area, and Kit finds herself pulled into the conspiracy. Add in the sudden appearance of a handsome, silver-tongued rogue who makes Kit want to flirt, flirt, flirt . . . it’s the perfect recipe for disaster. Kit is determined to find her brother, return home, and (most importantly) keep her secrets, well, secret.

This hilarious, quick-paced installment in the Amazon bestselling House of Oak series can easily be read as a stand-alone book.
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Finished 12/26/23
This is Book 2 from the House of Oak series. The best part of a series is meeting the characters you already loved. Emry and James were the lead characters in Book 1, and Georgiana had a supporting role. Her starring moment came when Emry had to take her back through the portal to save her life.

In Book 2, Georgie takes the starring role. She’s cured, but she’s struggling to find her place in the 21st century. THEN the impossible happens . . . she receives a love letter from the past, and she wrote it! As a lover of mysteries, there’s only one thing she can do – time travel back to discover the love of her life, but there’s a twist . . . gooseberries!

Watch whenever they’re mentioned – they’re the key to the plot. In 2013 Georgie’s boyfriend belongs to GLIB – Gooseberry Lovers International Brotherhood. Back in 1813 they figured into the plot too. Sebastian Carew enters the story when he becomes the Earl of Stratton. There’s only one small problem – if he isn’t married by his birthday, he will forfeit 60,000 pounds, and the money will go to 3 gooseberry societies.
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I’d never heard of gooseberries until I read this book and its back matter. If you’re curious what gooseberries look like, take a look under this paragraph. Gooseberry societies and competitions were a fad in the early 1800’s. If you were a gooseberry back then, you were a lax chaperone who wasn’t keeping an eye on your charge. Gooseberries are still popular in Britain, but now it means you’re the third wheel in a group.
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​Amazon’s Description:
Georgiana Knight--born in the nineteenth century, but now living in 2013--has certain standards when it comes to mysteries: they must involve blood curdling threats, late-night rendezvous and the terror of Imminent Danger. So far, her current mystery has been a terrible disappointment. No ghosts, no dastardly villains, not even an actual murder weapon. Just a suspicious symbol, a drawing of a bloody dagger, and an old love letter. Though the centuries-old love letter is written in her own handwriting, so that's something, right? And there is a time portal in her cellar. Should she risk giving up hot showers and return to the past to discover the mysterious stranger who inspired (will inspire?) her passionate letter?

In 1813, Sebastian Carew has his own mystery to solve. As a teenager, he fell madly in love with his childhood friend, Georgiana. Ten years later, he returns from fighting abroad as an eligible man of fortune who must marry. And soon. He is determined to fend off fortune-hunting women, find Georgiana, and win her affections. However, she has utterly vanished. Can he divine the truth of her disappearance and convince her to marry him before time runs out?

Finished 11/12/23
This was Nichole’s debut book from February of 2014. I found it in June, and I’ve been reading her work ever since. Intertwine is a time travel novel with Emry coming from 2012, and James from England, 200 years later. It’s a parallel story with the plot moving back and forth between the two characters. I love how she weaves them together.

Nichole was an award-winning photographer before she started writing. I think it gave her an edge in picturing her characters and their story. She also uses Pinterest to store photos and notes to use later. I’d never heard of that before.

I finished Nichole’s newest book before I started her first one again. I never noticed her growth as a writer until now. I loved her stories before, but her writing feels richer and deeper. I think it comes from the way she shows her characters’ emotions through their actions. She also uses historical details like furniture and clothing to help you picture the setting.

                                                                                      Amazon’s Description:
                                               Outlander meets Bridgerton in a love story for the ages!

Time is not a river. It is a vast cosmic sea. Where each life exists as rippling circles on its surface, past and future being eternally present. And occasionally, one expanding ring intertwines with that of another, weaving the lives of two people together. . . .

In 2012, Emme Wilde can’t find the right guy. She wants to feel that swept-off-your-feet dizziness of true love. But so far, her dating life has come up short. Star Trek geek? Nice but too serious. Hippy artist? Cute but too vulnerable. Instead, Emme obsesses over the portrait of an unknown man in an old locket. Granted, a seriously dreamy guy with delicious, wind-swept hair she just itches to run her fingers through. But still. Dead men may be great listeners, but they are not exactly boyfriend material. Emme travels to England, determined to uncover his history and conquer the strong connection she feels.

In 1812, James Knight has given up finding the right woman. All he wants is someone to share his love of adventure. Instead, his life has become a Shakespearean drama. His brother languishes in a tragic star-crossed romance. His beloved sister clings to life, slowly dying of consumption. But then he finds a beautiful mystery woman, dripping wet and half-dead, beneath a tree on his estate. Now if he can uncover her history, perhaps adventure—and romance—will find him at last.

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