A Sparkle of Silver (Georgia Coast Romance Book #1)

In an era where doom and gloom face us at every turn, A Sparkle of Silver is a heart-warming romantic mystery novel full of hope. Ben Thornton and Millie Sullivan are two down on their luck young adults working multiple jobs to care for others. Millie’s Grandma Joy has declining dementia and needs specialized (and expensive) care. Ben is doing everything he can to pay reparations to strangers his mother had swindled. Both have devoted themselves to their care-taking and, along the way, lost sight of themselves and the importance of having someone to turn to for yourself as well. In a moment of lucidity, Grandma Joy mentions that she is “not her father’s daughter,” sending Millie on a treasure hunt and a search for her heritage at the Chateau, a grand estate where her great-grandmother had stayed during the summer of 1929 before the Great Depression hit. Millie soon meets Ben, who is working as a security guard, and offers to share the unidentified treasure if he helps her. This twisty tale artfully blends past with present on the glamorous beach front Georgia property of the Chateau and will draw you in with its cast of likable characters. The used of mixed media as Ben and Millie discover the past through a series of letters, journals, and historical research adds to the intrigue. I highly recommend A Sparkle of Silver and I will be sure to look out for the next releases in the Georgia Coast Romance series.

A Sparkle of Silver is the first book in Liz Johnson's Georgia Coast Romance Series. What a way to start a new series. This novel was so good, it has romance, family, adventure, suspense and history. There's something for everyone. There was such a loving relationship between Millie Sullivan and her Grandma Joy. This story had me at the heartstrings from the very start. The author does a great job of showing us what families deal with having a loved one with Alzheimer's. Millie wants to do what is best for grandma, but her funds have run out. She faces grandma being evicted from the facility she is in. Grandma Joy's story was difficult for me, having just recently placed both my father and mother into a facility. You always wish you could continue to take care of them, but sometimes there comes a time when the best and safest thing for them, is not your first choice. I found it interesting that Grandma Joy, all this time has been hiding a secret. When she tries to reveal it, Millie is not sure she can trust what grandma is telling her. Millie sets out to find a lost diary, a hidden treasure and her true heritage. Ben Thornton unexpectedly becomes her partner in crime. This was a page-turner mystery laced with romance. The love story is one of my favorites this year. I believe it worked so well because both Millie and Ben were not looking for a relationship. Both are trying to solve their own personal problems, they don't have time for romance in their life. Millie has gone to Grandma Joy with her biggest problem, Ben. There are some wonderful quotes from grandma, one of my favorites, “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 Marker. Even Ben.”...... “And we're surely more than the worst thing someone in our family has done.” I found this to be an exciting mystery, yet sweet historical Christian love story. I was given a copy of this book by Revell Publishers through NetGalleys. The opinions in this review are my own.

A Sparkle of Silver Georgia Coast Romance #1 By Liz Johnson Millie Sullivan is desperate and she'll do just about anything to keep her grandmother safe but as Grandma Joy slips further into the grasp of dementia Millie is running out of time and resources. When her grandmother, during a lucid moment, mentions a family secret, a treasure, and a journal that could solve all her problems. There's just one problem the Chateau is a tourist location operated by the historical preservation society. Short of paying for a tour that only allowed access to limited locations her only other option is to take a job there as a guest from the late 1920s. As an actor, she can be in the Chateau but her access to the estate and home is still limited. But she'll do anything even sneak into the places she is expressly forbidden to be. Ben Thornton is working as a security guard for the Chateau. And he takes his job very seriously - he needs the money. When he comes across a woman in the estate library he knows he needs to take her in but she has a story to tell one that could very help him get the funds he needs. But to find the treasure that Millie convinces him exists will require some off hours searching - searching that if discovered could get them both fired. A Sparkle of Silver is a blend of contemporary and historical as Millie and Ben work through the few clues that they have which include the journal entries of Ruth Holiday from the summer of 1929. Ruth, the daughter of a farmer, has a position at a bank and is not of the social class that would normally frequent the Chateau. But her friendship with one of the residents brings her into a world she dreams of calling her own - a world of wealth and ease. As Ruth goes through this summer she finds herself with a choice - one that will determine the course of her future - one that will test her heart. As Ruth's story is revealed Millie and Ben are faced with their own choices. Will they let the past determine their futures? Or will they allow their today chart the course for tomorrow? This is the first book in a new series by Liz Johnson and this one is set on St Simons Island, Georgia rather than Prince Edward Island. Having been there I can imagine the setting - warm breezes, the beauty of the Spanish moss draping from the trees (what I most miss now living in Wisconsin), the scent of the ocean. This book deals with issues that confront many in their day-to-day living in a thought-provoking manner for those have not faced them. This book would be an excellent book club selection. This would also be an excellent way to spend a day off (which I did with a pile of 13 dachshunds surrounding me). I like the back-and-forth between the present and the past, which was easy to follow as the journal entries were dated and in italics. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell with no expectations except that I offer my honest opinion ~ all opinions expressed are my own.