I have read and enjoyed all of author Liz Johnson’s books, and quite frankly felt pre-disposed to like this one…but it did not completely hit a home run for me. However, I will still recommend that you read it and decide for yourself, please!

Loyal granddaughter Millie Sullivan was raised by her Grandma Joy. Now that Grandma Joy is suffering from Alzheimers, she can no longer care for her at home. After placing her in the memory care facility they can afford, Millie is shocked and devastated to realize that time has run out to meet her obligations there financially, and they are giving her a VERY short time to find somewhere new. As she can’t even afford the one Grandma Joy is in now, how will she ever make something else work?

Ben Thornton is still shamed by his mother’s con artist ways. Her latest scam/con job has landed her in prison, and he is determined to repay every last cent to the people she took advantage of who are listed in the lawsuit. Ben is working three jobs to make this happen, but when he meets Millie - (whose second job doing reenactments at a historical estate happens to be where Ben is working as a security job), they join forces to find a potential treasure on the property.

The author includes diary entries from Great Grandma Ruth (Joy’s mom), who was a summer guest at that very estate just before the Depression. Will Millie and Ben find all the treasures they are looking for?

Although I was not in love with the entire book as I was reading, I was pretty happy with the ending. And again, please read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. J

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.

A Sparkle of Silver was a great read. I enjoyed the letters in the story and how it blended contemporary and historical fiction beautifully.

The book had some mystery and a very nice romance story. I liked the characters immediately and was hoping for a happy ending, even when it looked like things might go a different way.

All in all, A Sparkle of Silver was really good and I recommend it to fans of this genre. It is a slower read, but I was never bored and thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one!


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

A Sparkle of Silver is a very good book. I enjoyed the plot, characters and author’s writing. Fans of romance with a touch of mystery witl enjoy this book. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Few things bring together hope, history, hard work, creative thinking, and pure faith like a treasure hunt. "A Sparkle of Silver" is, on the surface, just such a treasure hunt. But a few chapters is all it takes to realize that there is so much more here. This is, truly, about finding what is lost. Not a physical trinket left in a little cubby somewhere, but that intangible sense of self. Ben and Millie are desperately searching for themselves, for their place in the world, as their families are ripped asunder in ways completely out of their control. For Ben, the conviction of his mother for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from dozens of families during his childhood. For Millie, a lineage, an extended family that could potentially embrace her and her beloved Grandma Joy, whose memories are slowly fading away.


Both Ben and Millie work extraordinarily hard to achieve their goals, and when the obstacles seem insurmountable - too much debt, too little time - they both seek something greater that can finally make their worlds well again. And they end up at the same place - the Chateau. Here, in the final days before the Depression, the greatest and wealthiest stars of the land came to pass an enjoyable summer. Millie knows that her great-grandmother was there that summer, kept a journal, and talked of a treasure. Millie finds work at the Historical Society-owned Chateau, playing the role of historical debutante by day and treasure-seeker by night.


Before Ben caught Millie in the library, totally out of bounds for her role-playing job, he had found work at the Chateau to try and earn more money to pay back the families his mother stole from. After that chance encounter, though, Ben and Millie team up and begin searching for the treasure together.


Their teamwork truly makes for a fabulous read. Millie is so enigmatic, but not cool or coy in any way. She wears her heart very much on her sleeve - along with a few bits of potato and a LOT of ketchup on occasion. She is so funny, so real. I absolutely adored her. She is a great fount of gregarious emotion just waiting to be poured out. At times, the reader gets the sense that she is at risk of combustion if she cannot find some kind of outlet. I personally believe that this is a cause of her stumbles and less-than-graceful moments.


Ben is the opposite. He is a deep, deep well of hope, waiting and praying for someone who will show him genuine love. His mother deeply wounded him by keeping him in constant turmoil as he grew up, and then betraying him completely when the truth of her actions came to light. She burdened him with a profound sense of guilt over her own actions that he had no part of but technically did not stop.


As Ben and Millie work together, as their friendship and relationship grows, the reader can feel both of their hearts filling with light. Together, they learn to trust, to breathe, to have fun, to overcome, and finally, to love each other.


There is so much history in this story. The journal entries by Ruth during her Roaring '20's summer at the Chateau take the reader right back to another time. Grandma Joy also brings a sense of history to the tale. She seems to float in a kind of unseen interim - not quite with Ruth, but not quite with Ben and Millie, either. More as a bridge between the three. At the end of the day, though, this is a story about love, and about Millie and Ben. A magical, wonderful, heart-melting tale of love.


This was such a fabulous story. I loved absolutely every minute of it. This book will keep a treasured spot on my bookshelf, as I am sure to return to it again and again.

Historical mansions, a treasure hunt, a long forgotten journal, and family secrets all combine in A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson. In parts of it, I felt like I was reading a Nancy Drew book (which, yes, I still read). In other parts I felt like I was reading scenes from National Treasure. And, yet, it was nothing like anything I’ve read before. It takes place in contemporary times, but also travels back in time to the 1920s to tell about a mystery that took place then. I found myself cheering for the main characters both contemporary and historical. Oh, and the romances, both old and new really add to the already amazing book! I probably sound overly enthusiastic about this book but that’s okay because it really was that good! How could it not be good with characters searching around a historical mansion, looking for clues to solve the mystery that took place in the past while also falling in love?

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves historical mysteries, treasure hunts, and romance. So, please, go find a copy and read it for yourself. It really is a treasure!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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."

My Thoughts: A Sparkle of Silver was absolutely delightful! It was romantic. Millie and Ben had great page-turning chemistry together. The mystery was engaging and had snagged me completely. I really enjoyed watching Millie’s great-grandmother Ruth’s story unfold and the romance and intrigue that went along with it. Johnson hooked me with the prospect of dark halls and dusty corners being the setting of a fascinating puzzle and she did not let down! I thoroughly enjoyed slipping away into a world, both past and present, that Johnson had created for us. And beyond all the romance and mystery was a sound message centered on trusting Christ with your needs and forgiving yourself. Johnson became a new favorite author with The Red Door Inn and she secured that spot with A Sparkle of Silver.

Rating and Recommendation: I highly recommend this one to Christian fiction fans who enjoy dual-timeline novels, great escapes to vacations along the shore, and light mysteries. I’m giving it 5 stars.

~ I received a copy from Revell through NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review. All thoughts are my own.

They say money can't buy happiness, but maybe searching for money can. And sometimes a fairy tale coming true is better than finding any treasure box. In A Sparkle of Silver, Millie and Ben are both in dire need of money for unselfish reasons, but when they set off on a treasure hunt in an old Chateau, they find a lot more than they bargained for.

A Sparkle of Silver is a romance, but it's more than finding true love and kissing in the dark. When Millie learns from her Grandma Joy, who suffers from dementia, about a possible treasure map in her mother's diary (hidden in a chateau), she can't help but think that finding the treasure would be the answer to all her problems, including affording a healthcare facility for her sweet grandma.

The story takes off quickly when Millie meets Ben and they both end up looking for Millie's great grandma Ruth's diary together. How they meet is too entertaining to give it all away in a review, but their partnership does not begin on a happy note, and they both keep their secrets on why they desperately need to find an answer to their monetary woes. The search for the diary and then a second diary and then a treasure gives Millie and Ben plenty of time to be together, and it's incredibly sweet to see their relationship progress as they get ever closer to their goal. Of course, as with any treasure hunt, the clues are confusing, frustrating, and often disappointing.

The best part is reading about two love stories unfolding side by side, one modern and one 90 years ago. Ruth's diary entries from her summer at the Chateau all those years ago reveal to Millie and Ben that the entire summer was filled with clandestine kisses, murder, theft, and a sweet friendship that was always destined to become more.

But diary entries only reveal so much, and it's exciting to see Millie and Ben work out the clues, escape detection as they search where they have no business searching, and struggle to deny their growing feelings for each other. But this fairy tale is a bit different in that the man isn't rescuing the woman. Instead, they are rescuing each other and realizing that happiness comes not from money but from embracing trust, family, honesty, love, and forgiveness, because as Grandma Joy reminds Millie, "All of us are more than the worst thing we've ever done."

The author does an excellent job at showing the fears and hopes and dreams of the main characters, both in the primary story and in the diaries. It's easy to feel their physical and emotional pain, the uncertainty of new love, and the breathlessness of stolen kisses. But in the end, when all the clues fall into place, A Sparkle of Silver is an engaging story about searching the past for buried treasure and discovering that following your heart is the true prize, generation after generation.

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.

You will enjoy this romantic mystery! Millie Sullivan is a young woman with a mission - she needs to find a way to help her beloved, (and suffering from dementia) Grandma Joy find a new place to live - yet she works 2 jobs to support herself and her Grandma and she cannot afford a rich nursing home!
Grandma Joy is lucid at times - she reveals to her granddaughter that she may find a journal that will lead to the revelation of a secret leading to wealth.
To find this journal, Millie must search a wealthy period resort that she works at without getting caught and losing her job. Millie is caught searching by Ben, a handsome security guard, but she promises to share any treasure she finds with him, and she gains his knowledgeable assistance.
You will enjoy reading about their search, the resort’s history and characters, and surprising ending!
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Great story and an excellent beginning to s brand new series from best-selling author Liz Johnson. The past connects with the present to create a captivating treasure hunt. It's an adventure that will leave the reader satisfied.

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."

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

This book instantly charmed me with its synopsis about discovering secrets in a library and I had to know more! And given that it was the first in a new series, I was even more intrigued. Now having spent a whirlwind adventure on the Georgia coast, I CANNOT wait to come back!

Generations collide in this heartwarming story of Millie attempting to learn the truth behind her great-grandmother's past, which may prove beneficial in solving the financial burdens she faces in trying to provide the means to support her grandmother's long term care with Alzheimer's in assisted living. Unfortunately, the weight of the world rests on Millie's shoulders and has been for quite some time. Despite her grandmother's condition, Millie makes a final leap of faith to find an elusive treasure that may belong to her family. There is so much for any reader to enjoy with this story filled with elements of mystery, suspense, romance, and history that blends into an incredible spiritual message about forgiveness.

The relationship that develops between Millie and Ben is so believable and breathtaking. While we are only with them for a short time, their moments together never felt rushed. In fact, the pacing was done so incredibly well as to simultaneously build on the gradual attraction felt between them, while also showcasing that time is of the essence in the race to uncover secrets. They each have their own strong and relevant reasons for wanting to find this treasure and initially only need each other in order to gain that reward; however, as they gradually get to know one another and allow their walls to come down, they ultimately find love, the greatest prize of all.

"Real love isn't love because it's easy or always feels good. It's love because you choose not to be self-serving."

It is always so refreshing to read about characters living beyond themselves and trying to make a difference in the world around them. Both Millie and Ben truly embodied that spirit, and it is through them and their connections with others, that Johnson took this light romance to an inspiring level.

Additionally, please humor me as I wax poetically about the important role books play throughout the story! Millie's penchant for reading so many romance books really set the bar high for any potential suitor. And let's just say that Ben was by far a truly worthy match in making her own fairy tale come true. While I'm not generally a fan of the epistolary format, I was won over by Johnson's writing style and looked forward to joining Millie in the reading of the diary to learn more right along with her.

Overall, this was an incredibly heartwarming story that I do hope you will read! This book has been by far my favorite one this year and I couldn't wait to carve out some time each day to pick it up. A short sneak peak into the the next book at the end featuring a whole new cast of characters was only a tease! So for now, I'll be picking up some of Johnson's previous books as I wait for more!

This is book one in the Georgia Coast Romance, so what a great place to start. This book is written in a little unique way. We have the present mixed with letters from the past. So you follow the lives of present and past characters. However, there is no confusion, it is all tied together very well. Each character is developed very well too.

There is lots of history, surprise, heartache, romance and so much more all woven together to make a wonderful story. I love Millie and Ben, both have their own unique problems and personalities, yet they compliment each other well. Millie's grandmother touched a special place in my heart as well. I look forward to reading more from this series. I enjoyed finding the path both Millie and Ben would take and discovering the path the characters from the past took.

This is a light Christian romance novel. Clean romance which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the beginning, I was drawn right away into a treasure hunt (who could pass that up?) and the genealogy mystery.

There were some parts in the book just dragged on but picked up right away again. I'm more of action/mystery gal than a romance girl so it was light. There were times I just wanted to strangle Ben for being an arse!

I enjoyed the fact there were journals in there alternating between the past and present helping Millie to solve some mysteries.

The cover is beautiful.



Love the ending of the book. It's almost every girls's dream!

I will give it a high 3 stars.



I recieved this ARC of ebook and print from Revell through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased and honest review. Thank you!!

A Sparkle of Silver is the beginning of the Georgia Coast Romance series, as well as, my first introduction to Liz Johnson and her writing. I thought this story was pretty good. I loved loved loved the beautiful setting of St Simons Island, Georgia. Millie is a likeable character. The mystery that she gets involved with kept me intrigued and fascinated until the end.


I give A Sparkle of Silver four and a half stars. I can not wait to read more by Liz Johnson in the future, as well as, the upcoming releases from the Georgia Coast Romance series. I recommend this one.



I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

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.

Librarian: The decision about whether or not to purchase this book depends entirely on the type of library you work for and your evaluation of your patrons. For instance, a school or university librarian probably wouldn't order this book. The exception might be a Christian University that includes a fiction section in its library. A public library, on the other hand might choose to purchase this book, especially if the library is located in an area of the country with a majority Christian population. In that situation this Christian Mystery/Romance novel might be just the right book to choose to order.
Reader: I'm not a huge fan of this genre (romance isn't my thing), but I do read them quite a bit, and I have for my whole life (because Christian Mystery Romance is absolutely my Mom's genre). This is a fairly typical example of the breed. The emphasis is slightly more on the romance than normal, but it is otherwise fairly typical.

There are books that never grab your attention, and most of the time you don't even finish, there are books that tale some time to grab your attention and then you and up loving it. Then there are books that grab your attention from the start, you can't put the book down, and you are sad when it ends. That is the kind of book A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson is. Everything from the setting to the characters grabbed me and refused to let go. The characters were so vivid I felt like I knew them in real life, I cried with them, I laughed with them, and I rejoiced with them. There are many books that swap between time periods, and I often find myself lost, not knowing which time period I'm reading in. Not with this book. I loved the journal entries sprinkled throughout the chapters. I enjoy reading books with a great plotline, well developed characters, an interesting location, a good mystery, and a great romance, and this book has it all. This is the first I have read from this author, but now I am hooked and will be searching for more of her books. This is definitely a book worth reading.

Where do I even begin with this book? It has so many elements that quickly endeared me to it, I just don’t even know where to start. A good place to start is with the plot. How could you not love a book that is all about two people searching for buried treasure and using a 90-year-old journal for clues? Then, you add a chateau in which actors dress in 1920s clothing and lead guests on tours of the mansion. It’s magical. The Chateau definitely reminded me of Gatsby’s mansion. And I liked getting snippets from Ruth’s journal. Any book that gives journal entries is one I want to read. The mystery unfolds gently throughout the pages and the storyline has its fair share of twists and turns that kept me guessing as to how everything would come together.

Then there are the characters. I really liked this cast of characters. Millie is such a sweetheart and I really want to be her friend. Her love of novels was endearing and her dedication to Grandma Joy was the best. Watching someone go through dementia is always heartbreaking, even more so when you’re as close as Millie and Grandma Joy are. Yet Millie did the best she could for her grandmother and I applaud her for that. And Ben was a great hero. His willingness to correct his mother’s mistakes was admirable and being a history professor, he was perfect for Millie. And I loved how sweet he was to Grandma Joy.

Overall, I loved A Sparkle of Silver. Fans of cozy mysteries intertwined with inspirational romance will most definitely want to read this book. Bravo, Ms. Johnson!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.