Ninety years ago, Millie Sullivan’s great-grandmother was a guest at oil tycoon Howard Dawkins’ palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Now, Millie plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of the same manor. But when her grandmother suggests that there is a lost diary containing the location of a hidden treasure on the estate, along with the true identity of Millie’s … great-grandfather, Millie sets out to find the truth of her heritage–and the fortune that might be hers. When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. But her story seems almost 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 as two charming characters get caught up in the adventure of uncovering the past and finding their way to an unexpected future.
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Having had a parent with Alzheimer’s, I was touched by Millie’s dilemma with her Grandmother Joy. Millie needs to make arrangements to move her grandmother to another facility that can take care of her grandmother better and this costs money that Millie does not have. I was hooked. As the story moves forward, Millie is seeking a treasure in her Great Grandmother’s diary. The author sets up a historical fiction, a romance between Millie and Ben, who has his own set of problems, and a search for treasure.
I found myself wanting the story to move faster at times and wanted to explore the feelings a relative has watching a treasured relative suffer from this dibiitating disease called Alzheimer’s.
A Sparkle of Silver, by Liz Johnson, is the first book in the Georgia Coast Romance series. This lovely novel contains a delightful treasure hunt that is utterly intriguing with each clever detail and revealing clue. Rich with romance, suspense, mystery, and even a bit of history, this story is truly entertaining from beginning to end.
As compelling as the mystery itself, the development of the characters throughout the novel is the true treasure of this book. The characters are relatable, they are likable, and they make the story shine. The inviting plot of the novel is well-paced and thoroughly engaging fully immersing the reader in the thoughts, feelings, motivations, and desires of the characters themselves. Like rays of light shimmering on polished metal, the themes of adversity, faith, perseverance, redemption, and romance meld together to illuminate a relatable story that is full of heart and authenticity.
With its endearing characters, and captivating plot, A Sparkle of Silver easily captured my attention from the very first sentence straight through to the last. Liz Johnson is truly a talented author with a real gift for story-telling. A Sparkle of Silver is a book I wholeheartedly recommend to all readers who take delight in clean, contemporary romantic fiction.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written contains opinions that are entirely my own.
“You know that every single one of us is more than the worst thing we’ve done. All of us. We bear the image of our Maker.”
And that quote sums up the message of this fabulous book. If you’re a fan of the author’s Prince Edward Island Dreams series and her Love Inspired Suspense books, you’re definitely in for a treat. This book is contemporary romance with a throwback to the 1920s via a journal and a good dose of intrigue and mystery. Such a wonderful combination for this lover of contemporary, historical, and suspense romance!
The setting of St. Simons Island, Georgia is gorgeous. The author’s masterful writing gives color, sound, and smell to the beautiful landscape and brings forth an intricately woven plot with real, down-to-earth characters. Millie is poor and just wants enough money to be able to bring her beloved dementia-laden grandmother to a place where she can be safely taken care of. Ben is an adjunct history professor struggling to right the wrongs his mother went to prison for. Their worlds collide when they become involved in a treasure hunt instigated by Millie’s grandmother’s memory of her own mother’s stay at the infamous Chateau. Both Millie and Ben are wary, cautious, under-the-radar kind of people who don’t trust people easily. Yet their shared sense of loyalty, hard work, and compassion brings them together and welds them together as partners. As they become more entrenched in their treasure hunt, they also learn things about each other that they must wrestle with. Forgiveness for their past and realizing that their past does not define them must be learned the hard way.
The book addresses the heartache involved in loving and caring for someone with dementia. It also delves deep to ask what is truly important and necessary in life – is it money? Fame? Recognition? Easy life? The flashbacks to the 1920s, right before the stock market crash, provided through Millie’s great-grandmother Ruth’s journals show much of what our human hearts crave but also how foolish and deceptive our hearts can be. Millie and Jeremy’s present day chase through the Chateau itself and its grounds provides intrigue and suspense that keep the pages turning. Great-grandma Ruth’s journals also add to the mystery surrounding the possible treasure and what may have happened to it.
What a wonderful beginning of an exciting new series from Liz Johnson! I can’t wait to read the second book!
I was given a copy of the book from the author and Baker Publishing Group. I was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
A sweet and heartwarming romantic story centered upon family legacies that are so much more than expected, more than the mistakes and regret of the past and present, and about forgiveness and mercy for those who have wronged us—all told amid the charming Georgia coastline in the shadow of a historic chateau.
This is an emotional present that is tied to a mysterious past. Millie’s Grandmother in a moment of lucid thought drops a hint about her Mother and her ties to a wealth family. Ben feels responsible for his Mother’s mistakes and wants to make amends, both set off on a journey to make things right.
I think this book is set in a perfect place where Southern charm and old money play a big part to this story. Millie is a devoted Granddaughter determined to find out who her Grandmother’s father is and if there really is a diary with a treasure map. Ben is a responsible honest man who is paying for his Mother’s faults. Both of them are strong characters with good qualities.
This is a good story of family, faith, mystery and intrique.
I love stories about treasure hunts. This was terrific. Ms. Johnson pens a complex story of Mille and Ben searching for a treasure that is somehow connected to Millie’s great grandmother Ruth. Ruth Holiday spent the summer of 1929 at the Chateau of rich Howard Dawkins on St. Simons Island, Georgia just before the stock market crash.
This book has lots of historical details about the mansion and life of the rich in 1929. The backstory is told through letters from Ruth and diary entries and leads Millie and Ben to search for a hidden treasure. They each have an urgent need for the treasure, Can they trust each other?
I love that Millie is a historical fiction reader and gets wrapped up in those stories. Her inner voice that she argues with is quite funny. She is a hardworking girl who is trying to provide for the grandmother who raised her. Ben is a hard worker as well, He has three jobs while he works on his PHD. In teaming up, are they getting more than they bargained for? What treasure will they eventually find? Some advice from Grandma Joy: “Money is a tool. God is the one who provides. Let Him take care of you.” and “The struggles and scraping. The figuring out how to find joy in the midst of pain. That is the good stuff.”
Another thoroughly enjoyable treasure hunt story from Liz Johnson.
I borrowed this ebook from Prime Reading. All opinions are my own.
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21…this is a story of finding forgiveness and accepting grace. Of allowing others in when you’ve been hurt by so many. It was intriguing from beginning to end. I absolutely loved it!
This was a masterfully woven tale of blended times between contemporary and historical fiction. When a piece of history shows up in a beachside town in Georgia, two lives are changed forever. Anne Norris was taking a stroll along the beach after Hurricane Lorenzo swept through. There, she hardly believed her eyes when she found evidence of a shipwreck. She soon meets museum director, Carter Hale who has an historical journal that may tie into the piece she found. Now they are thinking of treasures, a sunken ship, and lost love.
I was mesmerized by this story from page one! So much heart for the main characters. The mystery, piracy, and romance was intriguing. I was rooting for their happy ending and found it hard to put down. One of my favorite quotes was “Carter had read way more scandalous stories in the Bible and had decided a long time ago that God could use whatever story he liked to do whatever he wanted.” What a wonderful take on God writing our stories. Johnson did an amazing job with this book. It’s my new favorite of hers!
I loved this line, too. It was “a decision to put the past to rest and live with hope for tomorrow.” That’s living with hope and walking in grace.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Revell and NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.”
When Millie’s grandmother is forced to be moved due to her dementia, Millie is trying to figure out what to do. Where will Joy go that Millie can afford? When Grandma Joy spills the beans about a diary hidden that had information about a treasure, Millie feels that this could be the answer to her prayers. When she is found milling through the museum where she works looking for the diary, she enlists the help of the security guard, Ben, who found her. As they work together to unravel the clues left in the diary, they find there are more things that just treasure, there is the heart. A wonderful historical fiction romance that just makes you go awww!
This is my first book to read by Liz Johnson and I am so excited! I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. It had mystery, two time periods, and romance. I loved the characters. I felt a kinship with Millie. She was an avid romance reader and had stacks of books by her bed. (that is so me) Ben, the hero was a man of integrity and character. And by the description, a very good kisser. Wow! I loved it and I will most definitely be reading more from Johnson.
*I was given a copy of this book by Revell Publishing via netgalley. This is my honest opinion.
I have been a fan of Liz Johnson ever since reading her first book. When given a chance to review this one, A Sparkle of Silver, I jumped on it. Within these pages I was enraptured by a treasure hunt, a sweet romance, and the power of forgiveness.
Johnson keeps the pace going as the main characters, Millie and Ben, find themselves strangely bound together in an effort to find a buried treasure. As they unearth clues, face interpersonal struggles that can’t help but muddy their situation, and fight against the seemingly insurmountable odds that life throws their way, Millie and Ben find the freedom that only forgiveness can bring. Johnson presents her message clearly, with hope amid gut wrenching heartache.
I highly recommend this book. It is a clean read that will delight and touch your heart.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions in this review are my own.
*My Thoughts*
Wow, wow, wow, this was such a sweet story! After Liz set her very first series in PEI, I honestly didn’t think she could top that. (Huge Anne of Green Gables fan in the house y’all.) She just may have with this amazing dual time period story of love, trust, and intrigue!
Millie Sullivan is a desperate, generous granddaughter that would do anything to help her grandmother. When she finds out that there may be treasure hidden on a historical estate that pertains to her family history, she has to find it. She just never counted on Ben…
Ben is such an intriguing character! He is a reluctant hero…he knows what he should do, but he also really wants to keep his job. Sometimes the reluctant ones also make the best characters. Definitely true in this handsome closed off characters case!
I honestly have never read a historical/contemporary/suspense/romance novel as incredibly well written as this one. Such a wide mix is very hard to execute, but Liz took it over the top with this one. Also…spoiler alert! (This book might have the most swoon-worthy kiss I have read this year hidden deep within it’s pages.)
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*My Rating*
I give A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson…
5 stars!
*I received this book free of charge from the author.
4.5 stars.
Camilla “Millie” Sullivan is heartbroken. She’s being forced to move her beloved grandma Joy from the assisted living facility where she’s being cared for because her memory loss has worsened, necessitating more specialized care. Millie is strapped financially and can hardly afford to take care of herself. She’s out of options and feeling hopeless and dejected until her grandma mutters details about a long-held family secret that might help Millie to get the funds she needs. It involves her great grandmother, Ruth, an opulent Chateau and a diary containing a treasure map that’s hidden somewhere within the Chateau’s walls. Fortunate to get part-time employment at the Chateau, Millie sets about snooping to locate Ruth’s diary. Her efforts are thwarted when security guard, Ben Thornton, catches her and threatens to expose her. Desperate to escape dismissal, Millie recruits Ben to help her, promising to split whatever treasure she finds with him. Ben, carrying his own load and in need of money as much as Millie, agrees to help her. Together, Ben and Millie become a formidable team, uncovering more than a few secrets, and in the process, learning that love is more valuable than money.
I loved this story that required me to suspend disbelief; to accept the far-fetched plot and coincidences. In this book we find treasure hunts, thefts, homicide, scandal, romance, and lots of mystery. I enjoyed the dual narrative aspect, taking us from the present and back to 1929, just before the Great Depression when Millie’s great-grandmother, Ruth, and her friend, Jane, both bank tellers, were invited to be summer guests at the Dawkins Chateau on St. Simons Island, GA, by Mr. Dawkins’s “particular friend,” Lucille Globe. (Mr. Dawkins’s wife and child were back in Chicago at their permanent residence.) The elusive diary describes Ruth’s activities in and around the Chateau during her visit. The juxtaposition of high-society socialites and the working class guests mingling at the Chateau was fun to observe—the common folks enamored with the lives of the uppercrust. Ruth was a poor farm girl from Central Georgia. Nineteen at the time, she resembled a fickle young girl who was confused about where she should direct her attention. I anxiously awaited which way Ruth’s heart would steer her. Would it be towards the lowly, solicitous gardener, George? Or the handsome, debonair, wealthy Claude?
This book is categorized as Christian fiction, but it was not littered with bible verses or laced with the author’s own interpretations of scripture, which I appreciated. It was not didactic at all, but simply lacked foul language, violence and immoral activity.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this books. I liked the balance of unscrupulous characters and benevolent ones throughout the story, and how the romances within were convincingly developed. Recommended.
Well-developed, believable characters help to make this story enjoyable. You’ll find charming, quirky, determined, and lovable “people”, who will cause you to keep reading,
Mystery, romance, and even a treasure hunt will keep you turning the pages.
The story reads a bit slow but any book that contains an estate that feels like a castle is worth reading. And while it reads slow, it really is a good story with the great setting of St. Simons Island. If you enjoy Christian historical fiction you’ll enjoy A Sparkle of Silver.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but as not required to leave a review.
This is a wonderful romantic story that takes us between present day and slips back to 1929. I’m not sure sure which story make me swoon more, the present or the past. Millie is a delightful character who is barely making ends meet. She has a dear grandmother she is trying keep in a facility but the bills are piling up. It is not easy to watch a loved one slowly slip away in their mind. I wanted to go take Millie’s hand and tell her everything would get better.
The details about the chateau that Millie works at is fascinating. I would love to explore every room there and perhaps stay in the library forever. Grandma Joy tells a story one day that surprises Millie. It is hard to tell if Grandma Joy is remembering something or just talking silly. If the story is true, there could be a big treasure waiting for Millie to find.
Ben enters the picture when he finds Millie sneaking around the chateau. What can she do to convince him to let her continue her search? I loved how the story bounces back and forth between time periods with seamless energy. The author has captured the true depiction of romance with a magical story. It flows with grace and I loved the added mystery of the diary. The words spoken in there are poetic, lovely and definitely a person deeply in love. The slow simmer of Millie and Ben’s attraction to each other is movie worthy. They pretend they don’t care, yet their eyes tell a different story. And what of the diary which holds secrets that could change lives? The race is on to discover what or if there is a treasure when others get wind of the rumor.
The story is one that slowly grabs at your emotions and takes you on a journey of discovering the inner workings of a lost love, the hope of a better future, secrets long thought to be buried and a love story that only a very gifted author can write. The kiss that I have been waiting to read about just about knocked me off my feet. It was soft, sweet, electrical between two people, and “suddenly our hearts were beating at the same tempo, racing faster than mine ever had before. ” I won’t say who the kiss was from, but for me I waited patiently for that moment in the story that would be worthy of “the kiss felt round the world.” The book is everything you want in a story with romance, mystery and an ending that will satisfy all romantics. The author has surpassed my expectations and now has a huge fan. The ending is spectacular with intense drama and sadness that overwhelms me. The lesson in forgiveness and trust told by the characters will be one I will always remember.
” You have made me see a love I could not have imagined possible.”
I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.
I won a copy of this book from Bookish First. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Millie Sullivan was abandoned by her parents, and left with her paternal grandparents, who loved and cherished her, until her grandfather dies and her beloved grandmother develops dementia. Once she can no longer keep her grandmother at their Georgia farm, they sell the house and move her to a facility. But to pay for it, Millie must work 3 jobs, with no chance of going to college. Her grandmother’s savings had been taken by a swindler. On the same day that the administrator tells Millie that her grandmother needs more care that they can provide and she has 3 months to find another facility, her grandmother, in a lucid moment, tells her that her father wasn’t her biological father and about her mother leaving a journal at the Chateau on St. Simons Island, with a treasure map inside.
To find the journal, Millie gets a job as an actress at the Chateau, whihc is now managed by a historical society, with tours. While searching for the journal, she is found by a security guard, who insists that he most turn her in, until she explains that she is looking for her great grand mother’s journal, which has a treasure map inside and offers to split it with him. Ben Thornton, is also working several jobs, to compensate the people that his mother swindled. While neither trusts the other to reveal why they need the money, they agree to work together. As they become friends, they then both feel guilt about not telling the whole truth, but are afraid of the other’s reaction. A romance, mystery and treasure hunt. The writer skillfully develops the plot writing the narrative in a very appealing manner.
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.”
A Sparkle of Silver was such a delightful read. It combined a lot of things that I enjoy – great characters, sweet romance, an inspirational message, and a page-turning mystery. It’s one of those books that once I reached the end, I was left with a big smile on my face. Now that doesn’t mean things were all sunshine and roses. Real and serious issues were addressed. I had tears in my eyes many times. The characters’ emotions were so authentic and it really felt like their struggles became my own. But the journey and the message were so hopeful. I often found it hard to tear myself away from this story.
Grandma Joy’s struggle with dementia was heartbreaking. As some who’s watched a loved one deal with the disease, she really tugged at my heartstrings. It’s such a painful thing to see someone you love go through. Millie’s care and worry for her grandma was endearing and relatable. She was such a determined young lady and wanted to make sure Grandma Joy had nothing but the very best.
A Sparkle of Silver was my first time reading anything by Liz Johnson and I enjoyed every second of it. I’m definitely gonna be checking out her previous books while I anxiously await book two! Highly recommended!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
Ninety years ago, Millie Sullivan’s great-grandmother was a guest at oil tycoon Howard Dawkins’ palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Now, Millie plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of the same manor. But when her grandmother suggests that there is a lost diary containing the location of a hidden treasure on the estate, along with the true identity of Millie’s great-grandfather, Millie sets out to find the truth of her heritage–and the fortune that might be hers. When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. But her story seems almost too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up . . .
This is Millie’s search for her ancestors and in the process she learns there is a treasure involved. Ben discovers her trying to find a journal that was her great grandmothers. Millie convinces him to help her find the treasure for half of it. It appears that Millie and Ben are both obsessed with money. But as you read further, you discover the reasons they want it so badly.
I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more mystery involved with the story. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book. It was a good light read romance story. I would recommend this book.
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.
What an intriguing treasure hunt Liz Johnson took me on! This book was an entertaining mixture of suspense, intrigue, and romance with a smidgen of history and a good dose of faith and forgiveness. Millie and Ben were both engaging and likable characters. They were both caught up in situations, not of their own making, which required sacrifice for them, and I admired their dedication and sense of honor. Ben was a very inspiring and endearing hero. He was hard-working, committed, and charming. Millie seemed to be a little naïve, but she was dedicated to her grandmother and finding a way to take care of her.
The mystery of the hidden treasure was so intriguing. I liked the journal entries that gave some clues to solve the mystery, but sometimes added more questions and intrigue. They were well-written and added a lot to the story.
There were a few places where I thought the story dragged a bit and a couple of times I had to suspend belief a little, but all in all I enjoyed trying to guess how the mystery would be solved. A Sparkle of Silver is a great start to Liz Johnson’s new series, and I’m already eager to read the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
This story touched my heart in a few different ways – from dealing with a parent/grandparent with dementia/Alzheimers, to desperation to find a way out of a bad situation, and to finding love in the most unexpected place. This story inspired me, intrigued me, and brought out the sleuth in me.
Millie was one of those people that you just want to lend a helping hand because she was doing her best in a difficult situation. Ben comes off rough at first until you get to know him and find out what drives him. But both of these characters were real and could be you or me or anyone that we know. I liked that they didn’t just trust each other right off the bat and it took time as they revealed more about themselves and their situations.
I really liked Grandma Joy, she was a hoot despite her memory issues. She is the one that set Millie on the path of finding out more about her Great Grandmother Ruth and what it was like to visit a swanky Chateau in 1929. Ruth wasn’t in the same league as the others at the Chateau that summer, but she made the best of her situation and while she left clues in her journal(s), those journals had to be found which is where a little bit of mystery comes into play. The author does a great job of dropping clues here and there and you have to be on the ball to catch them and put the pieces of the puzzle together.
I loved how the story came together in the end. I have a favorite quote from the end, but I’m not going to share it because it is a little bit of a giveaway. So read the book and I’m sure you’ll figure out what line I am referring to when you read the book.
A few of my favorite quotes
“Maybe a person’ 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.”
“I was shocked. I was hurt. It just all hit me at once, and I couldn’t see past my own past.”