My Heart Belongs in San Francisco, California

These books are a lot of fun! They are historical, and full of little tidbits of history and information from the era, but they're definitely fiction. They are inspirational and filled with Christian verses, scriptures, and character / morals, but not so much that it overwhelms the story. The naivete of the main character was both endearing and irritating at times, but it contrasted nicely to the jaded male main character...and in the end, it all works out beautifully!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
These are my favorite type of books! It is historical, and has lots of historical elements and information from the era, but it is still fiction. This book is inspirational and I love that it is biblical with real verses and has actual morals, but not so much that it overwhelms the story.
This was my first book by this author,  I absolutely enjoyed every second of it. But i also enjoy hallmark movies so that could be why. It was fast paced and just alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a 5 star rating!

If you enjoy a lighthearted melodrama, you’ll love this sweet historical by Janice Thompson. Of course, it’s a melodrama without the fainting heroine (Abigail Effington can take care of herself, thank you very much). In fact, Abby thinks nothing of traveling to boomtown San Francisco rather than wait for road repairs at Fort Hall as she makes her intrepid journey from Philadelphia to Oregon in search of her mother. The family’s trusty butler, Neville, travels with her and protects her along the way.

San Francisco turns out nothing like Abby expected. The wooly, dusty, seemingly lawless town makes her wonder a bit about her choice. Neville wants to purchase return tickets the day they arrive in town. But Abby has high hopes of reuniting her estranged parents, and vows to stick it out. She determines to take a job at the Gold Rush Inn in exchange for wages and a free place to stay. Neville, of course, stays with her—after all, he’s faithfully served the family from England to Philadelphia.

At her new job, Abby learn how to work for the very first time. She also learns to appreciate the very reliable (and handsome) Sam Harris. The cast of supporting characters helps Abby realize the truth about herself, as well as the villainy of the not-so-evil-but-just-bad-enough villain. Cookie, the Inn’s famous cook, has theology that seems a hundred years ahead of her time (but it’s good, solid, theology), and the other good guys don’t harbor any of the usual era-appropriate prejudices against the Chinese. All-in-all, this sweet romance will keep you smiling from start to finish.

Though I have read other Janice Thompson book previously, her installment in the My Heart Belongs series is the first of her Historical Fictions that I’ve read. Let me say, I was not at all disappointed. While I didn’t laugh out loud and cry, I did certainly laugh and grimace (at character’s actions, not Thompson’s writing) and so much more. Abby was a believable character, as were the others. I found myself rooting for all of them, shaking my head at Abby, rolling my eyes at the villain’s empty flattery, and thoroughly enjoying myself. There were a few moments when things happened just a bit too easily to be believable (Sam’s father’s decision regarding the Inn, Abby’s mother’s reaction, how much money people have been able to put away for various things) but it didn’t detract from the charm of the story. Cookie’s wisdom and verse quoting never felt forced or preachy, but fit what one would expect as good advice. This is definitely a must-read for those who appreciate light historical fiction and will likely be one I pick up again sometime.

I really enjoy this fast-paced My Heart Belongs series. Each book has a different author, and each author has her own flavor. The historical aspects and not only informative, but they are endearing.

In My Heart Belongs in San Francisco, California: Abby’s Prospects, Janice Thompson does a great job of pulling the reader in. She also has a gift of carrying a spiritual thread throughout her story. It was fun visiting the west and the era of the gold rush.

I sunk into the vivid setting and enjoyed the great cast of characters. Abby is interesting. Ms. Thompson fleshed her out nicely, making her resilient and determined. And the setting is displayed nicely. The pacing is fairly fast, with no lagging parts, and the ending is sweet and satisfying.

One of my favorite things of this story, beside the spiritual thread, is the cast of secondary characters. Families aren’t always traditional—parents, siblings, and such. Sometimes they are people who we’ve grown to love, who we can depend on, and who give us a safe place to fall. I love how this story embodies that.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong spiritual thread, this book (and series) is a good choice.

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Pages: 256
Series: My Heart Belongs series #8
Publisher: Barbour Books
ISBN: 978-1683224639
First Line: Never underestimate the power of coffee, Neville.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

My Heart Belongs in San Francisco, California by Janice Thompson is set in the 1850’s as San Francisco has been overrun with miners seeking their fortunes in gold.
Abby and her very proper English butler Neville are on their way to the Oregon Territory to convince her mother to come home to Philadelphia. Abby’s mother has always been a wanderer and open to new adventures. It seems it has rubbed off on Abby as well. When the trail to Oregon is closed due to weather, Abby insists they go on to San Francisco and plan to head to Oregon in the spring. Though not thrilled and ready to head back to Philadelphia, Neville concedes and they continue their adventure. Upon arriving in San Francisco, they find it to be an unruly place with many saloons and little law and order. Jimmy Blodgett, a waiter on the train, tells them they must eat at the Gold Rush Inn as Cookie serves the very best food, especially her cherry pie. They soon become friends with Cookie and Sam whose father owns the Inn. From there everything changes in good ways and the ending is a fun surprise.
I enjoyed this book tremendously! There is a lot of action going on and the characters seem so real they could live next door. There are many surprise twists along the way to the conclusion which turned out a bit different than I expected, in a good way. I rate this book 5 of 5 stars and highly recommend it.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

English socialite (not by today's definitions) Abigail (Abby) Effingham will do anything to keep her parents together including travelling across the country to find her mother, to convince her to come back home. Escorted by her chaperone and long time confidant Neville, she makes a train journey but makes a detour in San Francisco due to unfavourable weather that blocks the railroad tracks. In the growing town, she makes unlikely friendships with a hotel owner, Sam Harris and his cook and mother-figure Cookie along with other not so upstanding citizens. Sam is enamored by Abby and her English ways  but wonders whether he will be able to make her cut from her wide pool of suitors, given the high male to female ratio in their town.

Abby's Prospects was a delightful read and readers will enjoy seeing Abby come into her own when is forced to make ends meet in a situation is out of her comfort zone. I am glad that Ms Thompson add more diverse characters such as Jin Xiang, a former Chinese prospector who settles on working at Sam's inn and Lesley (Les) Jenkins, a former 49er turned farm owner who enrich the story lines. I personally fell in with Cookie's wisdom and Neville's dry humour coupled with their parental love for both Abby and Sam. The book provided me with insight on how Christians lived out their faith in a place that surrounded with the pursuit of greed.

If you enjoy reading about San Francisco in the 1800s, then this definitely the book for you. The quick facts on the California Gold Rush at the end of the book will provide book nerds with a great starting point for anyone interested in researching more about this time in history or if you are just a general knowledge junkie.

An enjoyable read by Janice Thompson. When Abby and her butler are detoured to San Francisco on a journey to unite with her mother they learn many new skills. As their money runs short they both have to find employment. Sam hires them at his hotel/restaurant. The many proposals begin because there are not many women around. The romance begins for more than just the young couple.

I received the book from NetGalley with no expectations for a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own.

“Never underestimate the power of coffee, Neville.” I was hooked with this opening line. My Heart Belongs in San Francisco, California is the story of Abby and her ever faithful servant/butler Neville and their trek across the country to bring her mother home to her father. Things don’t go as planned and the two end up in the rowdy town of San Francisco where they learn a lot about themselves and others.

As I mentioned above I was hooked from the beginning. Abby and Neville are more like friends and family than anything else. I liked the chemistry between these two and how Neville was protective of Abby and willing to step in and help out whenever she needed him. I also adored Cookie who was full of love and wisdom and was always willing to share both with everyone around her. I do wish there would have been more of Sam in the story since he and Abby had an attraction to each other.

The story was interesting and a quick read but at some points, there were just too many biblical references which seemed to slow down the pace. It’s mentioned that Cookie has a verse for everything but after awhile, it just seemed overkill and a distraction to the story. This was my only issue with the story. Other than that I found the story interesting and the characters realistic and well-developed. The author’s descriptions of the people made it easy to envision what life was like in San Francisco during this time period. I also thought she did a great job of conveying how Abby’s life changed from socialite to working girl. This part of the story added a nice touch of humor to the book.

All in all this was a nice read and I believe fans of the series will enjoy this book. I’ve read most of the books in the series and this one, while it has its flaws, is one of my favorites. Each book in the series stands on its own so don’t worry about having to read the others before diving into this book. Grab that cup of coffee (or tea), sit back, and enjoy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

I loved this story, a privileged young woman, gets down and dirty, and doesn’t seem to mind at all.
The story shows beginnings of San Francisco, actually its steamy side, and our girl ends up there on a quest to find her mother. The Lord took her in hand and she ends up in the right place at the right time. I felt God put Cookie and Sam in Abby’s path, and what a delight to watch her change.
I also would love to see Nigel as he became a different person, the sideburns?
What a great movie this story would make, and as I read this I felt I watching it.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. They made a fun and lasting impression on me, and I fell in love with several secondary characters as well. Thompson kept my interest the entire time, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. It was fun seeing a crazy mining town through different points of view, varying from residents to a first time visitor. I enjoyed watching Abby and her butler Neville adapt to their surroundings, and eventually come to love them. It was unique seeing Abby’s interest in different men, not immediately falling for the hero. It was also fun seeing Abby learn the difference between living a spoiled life to that of a hard worker. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. I loved the scripture thrown in here and there by a fun and loving cook named Cookie. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Inspirational author Janice Thompson's contribution to the My Heart Belongs series does not disappoint. My Heart Belongs in San Francisco is a fun, light-hearted book and yet it brings a message of what it means to be true to oneself and of having faith in a God who is at work in our lives even before we recognize it. I loved the eclectic and engaging mix of characters--a British butler and a Chinese handyman, a lady in dungarees and a young belle with a servant's heart, a mother with wanderlust and a workaholic father, a reliable young man and a cad in gentleman's clothes. And one can't forget the wonderful Cookie, a cook with a heart of gold. The author has done a marvelous job of bringing their stories together and creating a story that captures the heart. Set in the Gold Rush era, readers are given a glimpse of what parts of San Francisco might have been like and at the end of the book there is a list of fun facts about the California Gold Rush. Adventure, a few little twists to the plot and lots of romance, what is not to love. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's books and of course, the next in the My Heart Belongs series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

BOOK REVIEW: My Heart Belongs in San Francisco, California
By Janice Thompson
This is the first time I’ve read historical fiction written by Janice Thompson. I’m a big fan of her wedding stories (love the humour in them) that I was curious to read another genre by her.
In the beginning it felt like there was a lot of information dropping of how San Francisco got started, the gold rush, etc. but perhaps that’s the point of the series (to give a bit of history for each featured location)??? It’s also heavy on Scripture quotes, and mini-sermons so there’s no mistaking that this is Christian fiction. All of the biblical references and lessons being offered are relevant to the plot so it just doesn’t appear out of the blue. One character in particular, Cookie, is noted by all main characters as being able to recite Scripture at a moment’s notice to fit the situation.
There’s definite action from start to finish, and we’re never quite sure what the deal is with the heroine’s (Abigail Effingham) Mom and Dad, and why she felt it was up to her to bring her wanderlust mother home to Philadelphia. Loose ends are tied up in the final chapter explaining everything. There are colourful characters – Neville the butler, Cookie the cook, and a series of gold diggers that cross our heroine’s path.
I found myself getting frustrated sometimes with the naivety of Abby and thought she was quite oblivious to obvious motives and intentions of others. In the end, she DOES realize this so I feel a bit better that at least she learns how to read people, and to stop trying to fix others. She has lofty goals – of trying to fix her parents’ marriage, trying to turn gold miners into gentlemen, making San Francisco a cultured city. There are some humorous situations she finds herself in while trying to accomplish her goals. San Fransisco is the place to be for finding romance...Abby finds her happy ending, as well as the butler, the cook, the parents, the inn keeper's dad, the inn keeper and a friend.
A light, somewhat amusing read.
I received an ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

My Heart Belongs In San Francisco, California Abby's Prospects is one of the My Heart Belongs series. I like this series because they are sweet, clean romance stories. They are usually a quick, light read. This book on San Francisco is during the gold rush era of 1853. Janice Thompson surely did a lot of research on this time period and California location. I think she did an excellent job of taking us back, so we can experience San Francisco during it's beginnings. I have a very small negative statement. I was not totally sold on the character Abby Effingham. I expected her to be naive but her lack of judgment sometimes seemed a little unbelievable. She complained a lot about being treated like a child but she kept proving over and over that she was not capable of taking care of herself. She was not my favorite. Maybe because I loved Cookie, the cook. She always had a positive attitude, was very encouraging and quoted a lot of scripture. I felt that was very true for that time period. I know there are a few who may find that off-putting, put I loved it. Neville, Abby's butler was another favorite of mine. He saw San Francisco for what it was, a city of debauchery. He tried to talk Abby into going back to Philadelphia. The longer Neville stayed there he started loosening up. He had a wonderful dry sense of humor. He too was a very caring person, especially for Abby. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley, Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Abby Effingham, a British socialite by way of Philadelphia is on a journey to Oregon City to find her wandering mother and bring her home. On the train, Abby meets Jimmy Blodgett, who enamors her with stories of the gold rush and San Francisco.
After discovering the roads to Oregon City are washed out, Abby chooses to travel on to San Francisco instead of turning back, dragging her poor loyal butler, Neville, along. But, the testosterone-loaded, bullet-flying, whisky-flowing, bursting-at-the-seems town is far from the fair city she expected.

When the price gouging begins to dwindle her limited resources, Abby has to make a choice. She can telegram Daddy and ask for more money, she can marry one of the filthy gold diggers suggesting marriage on a regular basis, or she can take a job working in the kitchen of the Gold Rush Inn… only she’s never done a day of manual labor in her life. she chooses the later, and despite aching muscles perseveres, waiting and hoping for her brilliant plan to unfold.

Samuel Harris hates San Francisco but feels a responsibility to his father and the failing hotel. When Abby arrives in town, he is at once attracted and tries to protect her from the debauchery around every corner, if only she wasn’t so independent and stubborn.

I enjoyed Abby and Sam’s story. It was a sweet romance full of witty humor and lovable characters. And, it involves not one love story, not two, but three! I guarantee one of them, you’ll never see coming!

One of my absolute favorite characters was Cookie, the cook at the Gold Rush Inn. This woman can bake amazing cherry pies and quote a verse for every situation.

She’s got an enthusiastic sense of humor and is faithful to the Lord and the Harris family.

There is one scene towards the end that I feel I must warn you about. It has its place in the story, but it is suggestive and promiscuous. Otherwise, this was a fun, enjoyable read.

The main lesson learned through this book is contentment where ever God has placed you in this season of your life. This is something I am still learning. God has a purpose and a plan to your current location and we should be content in whatever “state” we are in.

Another great story, this one set in San Francisco in the mid 1850’s. The story starts out with Abby and Neville travelling to Oregon City, Oregon. Travel plans change and they wind up in San Francisco. What follows is their acclimation to the area and the rowdies that live there. A wonderful cast of characters are introduced, including Cookie, Sam, Les, Jin and Marcus primarily along with a few others. Dig your feet in for an engaging plot with relatable characters and a town that grows on you.
A copy of the book was provided through Barbour Publishing via NetGalley. No review was required and opinions are my own.

My Heart Belongs To San Francisco, California is a wonderful book of romances - Yup you read me right I said romances - plural - awesome isn't it? There is the main characters but also other people of different ages and nationalities - cool eh? This book is authentically historical. It has a great story to the romances and you just find yourself smiling without even realizing it because you are enjoying it that much. If you want to put a smile on your face pick this one up and join me.

My Heart Belongs in San Francisco, California by Janice Thompson is a historical fiction novel set in the time of the gold rush. An English socialite finds herself alone in the middle of the gold rush. Soon, her money is gone as she searches for her mother. Ms Thompson does an excellent job of creating the historical setting of this novel, from the descriptions to the manner of speech. I definitely recommend this book to readers who love fiction from this time period. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

This was one of those books that made you smile and laugh and yes... there was a tear! What an adventure and well developed characters. I want to read more of their stories! If I read books twice this book would be on my list! Loved it!

Fantastic historical read! Ms. Thompson never fails to create a 4 star worthy novel and she didn't fail with this one either. I was instantly captivated and pulled to the heart of the story. Each page turn brought the reader something new and I am glad to say that this is a keeper!

~Guest Reviewer at Cafinated Reads
~Cafinated Reads was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

I have enjoyed this "My Heart Belongs in...." series and this one is no exception. Samuel and Abby are a bit of an odd pair but it was fun to watch them overcome preconceived notions and fall in love. I'm a sucker for a good romance and this one was great. If you like history, faith, and romance, you'll enjoy this book!

This book was easy to enter and it kept me anticipating the next thing. She is involved in a trip west in this historical fiction to find her Mom and bring her home. The intended direction for her original plan is inaccessible so she decides to not turn back but instead keep on. She lands herself out in San Francisco where trouble abounds. This author paints quite a picture of an early look at what San Francisco was like... in the time period of the gold rush and greed. Should she stay or go? You'll have to read it like I did to find out what happens.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.