1861, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Inspired by the true story of John and Phoebe Brashear who developed telescopes and lenses that are still in use today, Love Under the Stars brings the beginnings of their journey to life. Set against the steel mills of Pittsburgh, a young man has a mind for astronomy and physics, the gifted hands of a millwright, and the heart of a minister. Conflicted about which life path to take, he is further confounded when the love of his life shows up teaching Sunday school in the classroom next to his.

Phoebe Stewart is headstrong, responsible, and meticulous about her role as baker and cook in her family’s household. Despite her whip-smart mind, she understands that she will live a single woman’s life with her family and revels in the caring and feeding fourteen household members. Then she meets John Brashear. He opens her eyes to a universe of heavenly bodies, a world of possibility beyond the walls of her home.

Torn between the love growing between the two and Phoebe’s devotion to her family, they navigate a path to where they can announce their plans to marry and buy a little home up on the South Side Slopes. It all seems to make sense… until it doesn’t. Can John and Phoebe fulfill their obligations while being true to their hearts? Can they make their dreams come true?

Available to buy from the following sites…

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Love Under the Stars by Kathleen Shoop
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

First of all, this is a clean romance set in the 1860s. Everyone goes to church. There are no bedroom scenes, and the mild “swear” words are not even worth mentioning. I cannot think of any of my readers that would be offended by this book, and I would definitely classify it as a sweet, clean romance.

This is the first book in the series, and wow, the action begins from that first page. I fell in love with Phoebe and John instantly, and I applaud the author for creating such endearing characters. While the storyline is typical in some senses, there are situations and details that raise the level of this book to a 4.5 rating. Including the astronomical elements caused me to enjoy the book even more. The fact that Pheobe is a girl after my own heart (she loves to bake and bake and bake) made me her adore her even more. There are a few moments that will keep you guessing and some other moments that will warm the very cockles of your heart. This is a quick-to-read romance that will definitely have the true romance aficionados begging for more!

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Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. Kathleen coordinates Mindful Writing Retreats and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.

I adore writing historical fiction (The Letter series, After the Fog and Donora Stories that are coming soon!) but am having a blast writing romance like Home Again, Return to Love and Tending Her Heart (Endless Love series). Thank you so much for the time you take to read.

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