After my rave review of last year's A SPARKLE OF SILVER, I could not wait to start reading this next installment! Once again, Liz Johnson has completely blown me away and cemented herself as an author on my insta-buy list!

Even though this is the second book in the series, it can very well be read as a stand-alone. The story follows two new characters, Anne and Carter, in their quest for information about a sunken ship off the coast of Savannah that occurred over 250 years ago.

Anne is attempting to reset her life following poor decision making and consequential mistakes, while Carter is struggling to keep the small museum he curates afloat. When Anne finds the hilt of a sword on the beach after a hurricane, she enlists Carter's help to determine its value. She quickly discovers that he has a vested interest in the item as well, having read about its description in the diary of a crew member who worked on board the ship for some time before it went down. Carter has spent much of his life trying to prove to his family, colleagues, and academia that the diary is in fact a piece of history and not a fantastic work of creative writing. Once Anne arrives, both of their lives are fundamentally changed.

"No matter how hard she tried to smile at Carter's silly joke, it didn't change who they were. She was a woman with a past she'd rather forget and name she could do without. He was a man with a name he didn't seem to want yet couldn't help but own."

The author's beautiful yet casual writing style is completely engaging and becomes incredibly immersive with the inclusion of the diary entries and letters sprinkled across the narrative. Readers will become just as excited as Anne to discover the truth behind the crew member's involvement on the Catherine. It's really a meta moment! Just as Anne is excited to return to the diary to find out more, readers will look forward to reading what Anne is reading and the pages will fly! The author is able to effortlessly weave the plot and historical subplots together so that everything becomes integral to the story and builds these interwoven relationships into a rich and multilayered story that kept me turning the pages long into the night!

"It sounds to me like you're carrying some heavy shame. And here's what I know. Grace is better than shame. Every time."

As with the previous book, so many genres come together to weave a layered story that any reader can enjoy. Filled with elements of mystery, suspense, romance, and history, the author's deft storytelling also crafts a captivating spiritual message about forgiveness and redemption.

This is an intensely heartwarming story that gracefully captures the power of second chances and the magic of uncovering true love. The picturesque descriptions of this coastal community will have you believing the sand is really in between your toes and the oppressive heat is beating down. So stay cool inside with this atmospheric read or take with you on your vacation to close out the summer and find some treasure of your own!

The author gives us a young woman Anne who is really down on her luck, and her trust of her fellow man is at an all-time low.
Enter a young man who is trying to make a name for himself without relying on his famous last name, and fate throws them together.
Can Anne end up trust a man? Can Carter help himself and also Anne?
We are also given a backstory, a relative of Carter’s, but this relative and her precious diary begin to tie everything together.
Once you turn the first page, you will be page turning, and watch how wonderfully the author has the past meet the present. A don’t miss read!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

There’s so much to love about this split-time romance. Carter Hale has an old diary that tells of a shipwreck, a handsome captain, and Rebecca, who posed as a boy on the “Catherine” to find her missing brother. Carter is desperate to locate this sunken ship to secure funding for his maritime museum. Anne Norris runs Rum Runners Tours in Savannah. She’s always loved the tales of the pirate history around Savannah, yet she’s struggling to keep her business open. As Anne is walking along the beach after a hurricane, she finds evidence of the shipwreck that has washed to shore. Carter and Anne find that they must work together to solve the mystery of the ship’s past in order to secure their future together.

What I loved most about this book was Rebecca’s diary entries of her life aboard ship. Posing as a boy was working well for her until the ship’s captain inadvertently discovers her true identity. I almost wish this whole book had been written about Rebecca and the captain. Their story was compelling and romantic. However, Anne also had my sympathy. She had been falsely accused and paid the price for it, and she was struggling to begin her life again. She and Carter had a long way to go to find their happily-ever-after, and I became absorbed in their story, too.

I’ve read several of Liz Johnson’s books and enjoyed them, and this is my favorite so far. It’s always nice to read such a well-written, lean and sweet book. The fact that this one is faith-based makes it that much better.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A Glitter of Gold by Liz Johnson is one of the best books of 2019! 5 Amazing stars!

"Treasure isn't trouble 'cause it's so hard to find. Treasure is trouble because it reveals a man's heart."

I loved the first book in the Georgia Coast series, but A Glitter of Gold is my new favorite Liz Johnson book. It's chock-full of adventure, pirates, treasure-hunting, history and toe-curling romance!

I adore this dual timeline, the historical part told through the pages of a family diary. Both stories so interesting and involved I found myself turning the pages quickly because I could not wait to read what was going to happen next, although it really should be read at a leisurely pace to be savored and enjoyed.

Anne is just looking to survive the fallout of her past and stay out of the limelight, while Carter is in a full-out search for a historic find of significance that will provide him credibility in the academic world and save the Savannah Maritime Museum he is administrator of.

The journal of the 1750's was so fascinating. I could read a whole book complete with these journal entries. The romance between Rebecca and Samuel was so swoon worthy and intense it was tangible. Carter and Anne were adorable in their "disinterest" of a relationship, but as they found out, you can find what you're not looking for. Loved their chemistry.

The Savannah setting took me back to an earlier visit and all the wonderful offerings there, the beauty of Forsyth Park, the smell and taste of the pralines from the Savannah Candie Kitchen, The Pirate House and the shops along River Street. The descriptions were so vivid, they added an extra layer of sensory enjoyment to my reading experience.

There are so many well-said lines, I highlighted quote after quote:

~"Savannah was both her exile and her salvation. She deserved one and couldn't thank God enough for the other."
~"I would have liked to have married you."
~"...she couldn't breathe. But who needed to breathe when there was this moment between them. He was hotter than a California wildfire and sweeter than Savannah pralines, and she was afraid she might combust in his arms."

A Glitter of Gold is such a satisfying book a reader won't want it to end. However, the epilogue was so well done I just sat enjoying all the moments and wonderful places I had traveled between it's pages. I don't reread many books, but A Glitter of Gold is one I will be revisiting, and soon. I can hardly wait for the third book, A Dazzle of Diamonds!

A Glitter of Gold is a very well written romance. Great plot. I really enjoyed the pirate theme. I could visualize myself on the streets of Savannah as I read this book. Kudos to the author. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Johnson's second Georgia Coast Romance is absolutely delightful.

Anne is a woman who unwittingly got involved with a terrible situation and is now suffering the consequences of her choices. She carries a load of shame and does not feel worthy of love or forgiveness. When she finds a gold artifact on the beach, she comes into contact with Carter, the man who runs the local museum. He too has brokenness from his past and guards his heart. As the two use the pages of an 18th century diary to try to locate a shipwreck, they grow closer, but they both have walls around themselves that are difficult to break down.

I loved the themes that resonate throughout this book dealing with trust, forgiveness, and shame. The adventure of the tale and the investigation are just icing on the cake for me as I adore a good treasure hunting story, but the relationships are what makes this book glitter with gold. The faith message is integral to the story, but is never preachy or overwhelming.

A Glitter of Gold by Liz Johnson is book 2 in the Georgia Coast Romance series. It read as a stand alone to me and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything from a previous book.

The main story line is about Annie who leaves her home state of California to escape some bad decisions and the repercussions they brought to her and her family. She conducts Pirate tours. She finds a relic on the beach after a storm.

As a result she takes it to Carter Hale who runs a museum to see what he thinks. He is thrilled because he thinks it is the evidence he needs to prove that his family diary is real and that a ship went down off the shore.

There are faith lessons woven into Annie and Carter’s story. Carter’s aunt is a fabulous secondary character.

Admittedly, I was more interested in the story of Rebecca and Samuel from the diary. Thank you Liz for giving me the closure I needed for the diary. Their story was swoon worthy.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
Sexual content - kisses, snuggling
Violence - pirates and fighting on the ship, young men taken to work on ships,
Drinking - it is mentioned that Rebecca's brother is hanging out at the bar getting drunk, trying to deal with life

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

This is the perfect summer beach read, just saying. A sweet contemporary romance that is filled with delightful surprises, an old dairy, and pirates and a treasure hunt. What's not to love about it. The setting is described in a way that pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you there on the Georgia Coast. A fantastic addition to this amazing series.

This book was so fun and interesting. I was drawn into this story right away and I looked forward to evening when I could pick it back up.
These characters were perfectly flawed and lovable. I loved how they endured and overcame the obsticles life threw at them.
The faith, romance, and hint of mystery was blended together so well. None of them overwhelmed the other aspects. I found the story inspiring and highly entertaining.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Fiction, Romance, or just a nice clean read. This would make a perfect beach read too!

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."

What I Loved: Liz Johnson is one of those authors who always surprises me when I pick up a new book. I forget how perfectly smooth and comfortable her writing style is. It's not overdone or underdone, it's JUST right.
A Glitter of Gold has been a highlight of my reading month. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why that is, and I think it's because there's so much working together so flawlessly.
Anne and Carter are delightfully, broken characters. Anne, in particular, is someone who I don't relate to well, but she still comes across so real and relatable despite our differences. The setting comes across as authentic. I'm not a beach-going gal but it's been refreshing to visit this coastal setting and to hear about these pirate legends, both real and fictional.
If you follow me for any time at all, you'd know that I'm a historian at heart. The only thing that equals a historical novel in my eyes is a time-slip novel. Although the setting is contemporary, we're reading a journal written in the 1700s. And both storylines are very well done!
And she brings it all together with a solid message for the soul. I found myself highlighting sections toward the end dealing with grace. 
Rating and Recommendation: I gladly give A Glitter of Gold 5 stars and I recommend it to those who enjoy Christian Fiction, coastal settings, pirate legends, and time-slip novels.

~ I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.

Although part of the Georgia Coast romance series, this book isn't really connected to the other one in any way besides location. You'll easily be able to jump into this standalone novel, meet the characters and the setting, and be whisked away into a pirate adventure! For half of the book, the story goes back and forth between modern day and 250 years ago, giving the story of a young woman lost in a man's world. The parallels between the modern day and past characters are easily drawn, and the lessons learned are readily available. Each of the main characters is hiding from their past, running from their potential future, and basically fumbling around. Eventually, they find faith through each other and begin to work together....and the ending is sweet.

This is a great story! Or I should say two stories. There are two stories woven together here, the contemporary story with Carter and Anne and the 18th century story told in a diary of life on a merchant ship off the coast of Georgia. I thought the stories were woven together perfectly to make everything fit. ! I loved Aunt Tessie too, she was the faithful reminder of grace that replaces guilt.
"Grace was the only thing she knew that might make difference. It was worth a shot.
Lord, I need your grace.
Peace flowed through her, except in a stubborn spot right in the middle of her chest."".
This is a story of romance, faith, mystery, history and pirates! This is a fun read and I recommend it highly!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley but the opinions are entirely my own.