A January Bride (A Year of Weddings) by Deborah Raney

This story is a part of a series of novellas that are being released each month electronically.  The series is called A Year of Weddings.  This is the second novella to be released.

This story is a novella centered around Madeline Houser and Arthur Tyler.  Madeline is a writer who has moved in to her sister's house while it is being renovated in order to be sold.  Her sister and her husband are moving because he got a new job.  Madeline's mom is in a nursing home and so she also will be able to visit her.  With all the renovations happening in the house, Madeline can't concentrate on the novel that she is currently writing.  Her neighbor, Ginny, suggests that she go to an inn of a friend of hers to write.  Arthur Tyler lost his wife to cancer a few years ago.  Since her death, he has had trouble keeping up with taking care of her inn as he is also an english professor.  He and Ginny form a friendship based on notes that they leave for each other since they have never met before.  When they do finally meet, their misconceptions about each other are brought to life.

I enjoyed this novella.  It was a short, easy read.  I enjoyed seeing how the characters misconceptions of each other were resolved and how it all came together in the end.

You can buy this book from Amazon here.

I received this book for free from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Severed Trust by Margaret Daley

I wanted to read this book because I had read the first book in Daley's Men of the Texas Rangers series and enjoyed it.  This was the fourth book in the series.  Each book can be read on its own.  When I first started reading the story, I was confused to see how all the characters were related to each other.  About half way through, I finally was able to figure out who was related to who and who was dating each other.  I've enjoyed both books I read in this series as I felt like they addressed issues that are prevalent in today's world.  Here is a preview from the author's site:

The day Sadie Thompson finds her high school student, Lexie, asleep in class and can’t wake her is the day she realizes how entrenched a prescription drug ring is in her school. As Sadie is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone—a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school. Helping Lexie recover from the overdose, Sadie feels she is making a difference—until the 16-year-old’s best friend dies from the apparent mixing of various prescription drugs. Lexie doesn’t think her friend took her own life, but her relationship with her Uncle Ethan is precarious and she doesn’t know if either he or Sadie will help her discover the truth.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Beowulf by Ronie Kendig

This book is the third book in Ronie Kendig's A Breed Apart series.  The book centers around two characters who were introduced in her previous books, Timbrel and Tony.  Here is a glimpse of the plot from the author's website.

A handler and her dog.
A Green Beret Willing to risk everything.
A mission that could kill them all!
Former Navy handler Timbrel Hogan has more attitude than her Explosives Detection Dog, Beowulf. Green Beret Tony “Candyman” VanAllen likes a challenge and convincing the hard-hitting handler they belong together might just get him killed.

I enjoyed this story.  I briefly remember the characters in this story from the previous books.  I probably would have been able to understand more of the background of the story if I had reread the first two books before this one, so that the characters would be fresh in my mind.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on January 1, 2014.

Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

I saw this book and it intrigued me so I picked it up.  I have't read any of Melanie Dickerson's previous books.  The book had a Cinderella feel to it, but with a little bit of a fairy tale twist.  At times it reminded me of Ever After, the movie with Drew Barrymore and one of my favorites.  Since I hadn't read any of her previous books, I felt like a I missed out a little bit on some of the characters who had been introduced in those stories as the author didn't explain much about them.  Even though this book is marked as teen fiction, I still enjoyed it especially since Cinderella has always been one of my favorite fairy tales.

Melanie Dickerson's Site

A little tidbit I found interesting from her site is that she graduated from the University of Alabama and lives near Huntsville.  That's near where a lot of my family lives and even though most of them are Alabama fans, I"m still an Auburn fan.

High Plains Hearts by Janeth Spaeth

I enjoyed all three stories in this book. You can read them in any order that you would like. They are all contemporary romances.

Here is the summary from Goodreads.

Travel to the plains in three North Dakota romances where dreams grow big and hearts are drawn to love. When coffeehouse owner Jake shows interest in Angel’s Roost gift shop owner Tess’s angelic wares, Tess wonders about their future—and what Jake really believes about angels. Lily has suffered a string of devastating losses. Maybe helping rebuild flood-destroyed Wildwood will revive her dreams, too. When a sale ad for a defunct North Dakota resort blew up against Olivia’s Boston-bound car, it caught her attention. . .then her determination to bring new life there again.

I received this book for free from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on January 1, 2014.

Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love

I picked up this book because it was set near where I lived and that appealed to me.  I enjoyed the story even though I felt like it was moving a little slow at times.  I recognized many of the street names in Charleston and am familiar with where Georgetown and Pawley's Island are, even though I've never been to Pawley's Island before.  I've visited the plantations here in Charleston and have seen how they grew rice during that time.  I definitely could picture that in my head while reading the story as well as what it must have been like to live then.

Here is the summary from the author's website:

The war is over, but her struggle is just beginning.

Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father’s once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick’s quest to prove his ownership of Willowood sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that reveals an old family mystery—and threatens all that she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19th century woman rice planter, CAROLINA GOLD continues Dorothy Love’s winning tradition of weaving together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book is expected to be published on December 10, 2013.

Dorothy Love's Site

Below is a picture of a rice field at Middleton Place I took this past summer.

This is a picture of Drayton Hall.  One of only a few plantation homes that survived the civil war.  It is being preserved so you can go in and get an authentic feel for how they lived back then.

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

I saw this book and thought it would be a fun, interesting read. When I first started reading it, I wasn't to sure about it. The book is written in letter form to Mr. Knightley from Samantha Moore. In each letter, she talks about what is going on in her life. This confused me at first but once I was used to the writing style, I enjoyed the story. If you like Jane Austen and similar books, this book is filled with references that you will understand.

The author is hosting a facebook giveaway November 14-December 3 for a chance to win a kindle HDX and an Austen-themed prize pack. Enter here if you want to enter.

Here is the excerpt from the author's goodreads page:

Dear Mr. Knightley is a contemporary epistolary novel with a delightful dash of Jane Austen.

Samantha Moore survived years of darkness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in literature, even adopting their very words. Her fictional friends give her an identity, albeit a borrowed one. But most importantly, they protect her from revealing her true self and encountering more pain.

After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity. The anonymous “Mr. Knightley” offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.

As Sam’s true identity begins to reveal itself through her letters, her heart begins to soften to those around her—a damaged teenager and fellow inhabitant of Grace House, her classmates at Medill, and, most powerfully, successful novelist Alex Powell. But just as Sam finally begins to trust, she learns that Alex has secrets of his own—secrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters.

Invention of Sarah Cummings by Olivia Newport

This is the third book in the Avenue of Dreams trilogy.  I have not read the first two but they focus on characters who are secondary in this story.  I enjoyed reading this book and was pleasantly surprised at the story.  I was a little hesitant at first but once I started reading, I enjoyed it.  Eventually, I hope to be able to go back and read the first two books in this series to read about those characters.

Here is the book information from the author's site:

Sarah Cummings has one goal in life-to break into Chicago’s high society. Desperate to stop serving dinner and to start eating at society tables, Sarah alters cast-off gowns from the wealthy Banning women to create lustrous, flattering dresses of her own. On a whim at a chance meeting, she presents herself as Serena Cuthbert, weaving a fictitious past to go with her fictitious name. But as she gets closer to Simon Tewell, the director of St. Andrew’s Orphanage, Sarah finds that she must choose between the life she has and the life she dreams of. Will she sacrifice love to continue her pretense? Or can Simon show her that sometimes you don’t have to pretend for dreams to come true?

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Olivia Newport's Site

The Alaska Brides Collection by Various

I loved these stories.  I had read a few of them in a previous book.  The first three centered around siblings.  I enjoyed getting to know the Rafferty family in those stories.  The other two were not related to the first three except for the fact that they were set in Alaska.  Each of the stories were a little longer to read than most other stories in these type of Collection books.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book is expected to be released on December 1, 2013.

Mississippi Brides by Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver

The first story centers on Alexandra.  She is devastated by a scandal surrounding her father's death.  She and her mother move to Natchez to live with relatives.  Jeremiah is working for his uncle's shipping company.  He escorts a friend back to his plantation in Natchez. He has radical ideas about things on the plantation and how to accomplish them.  He has faith in God that that he will guide him correctly.  Alexandra is stuck in her family's beliefs on how she should live her life.  She has to learn to rely on God before she can find the love that is in front of her.  The second story focuses on Abigail, the daughter of Alexandra and Jeremiah.  She is extremely independent and wants to remain single so that she does not have to submit to any man.  Nathan becomes a preacher in order to atone for an incident in his past. He has let his past guide his future and blind him.  Abigail and Nathan are drawn to each other but let their own views get in the way.  Until Nathan can truly understand God and his love and Abigail can let go of being independent, they will have a hard time opening themselves up to the love in front of them.  The final story is about Abigail and Nathan's daughter, Caroline.  She and her family travel to Vicksburg so that her father can preach for a week.  While there, Caroline attracts the attention of Luke, a commanding officer in the confederate army.  He is on furlough visiting with his grandmother, who wants to see him wed.  Caroline and Luke quickly fall in love and get married.    However, the both quickly realize that the other person is not quite the person they thought.  They both have to turn to God before their marriage can be in harmony.

I enjoyed all three stories.  I liked being able to follow the family from one generation to the next.  The stories weren't extremely long so they made for a quick read.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book is expected to be released on December 1, 2013.

Matchmaker Weddings by Annalisa Daughety and Kim O'Brien

The first story is about Millie Hogan.  She helps in her mom's cafe and is constantly breaking hearts.  Her mother is constantly trying to set her up on blind dates even though she doesn't want to go.  Her mom once again sets her up on a blind date with David.  Millie reluctantly agrees to go if her mother will promise to stop the matchmaking.  What ends up happening is Millie and David agree to having a pretend dating relationship in order to keep their family and friends from bothering them.  This causes lots of complications and ends up bringing the past to the forefront.  The characters definitely learn to trust, forgive and to let the past go.

The second story in this book centers around Violet.  She is a lawyer in her father's firm until the day comes when her sister's boyfriend is made partner and they announce their engagement.  She realizes that she isn't happy there and resigns to open her own bakery.  In the meantime, she has to find a date for her sister's wedding.  Jackson is looking for a date for his high school homecoming where he is being honored.  They both sign up for a matchmaker and get matched with each other.  The problem is that they already know each other from college and Violet wants nothing to do with him.  She has to deal with the anger she has towards him as well as the resentment she has towards her sister.

I enjoyed both of these stories.  They both are contemporary fiction which I enjoy almost as much as historical fiction.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book is expected to be released on December 1, 2013.

Greetings from the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge

This book sounded interesting so I picked it up.  I have read some of Rene Gutteridge's books before and enjoyed them.  This story started out ok, but then I was extremely confused as to what was going on.  Maybe it was because I was reading an unpublished copy so the format was off.  I couldn't understand why the story kept saying Hope was in a coma when she went to Idaho and then her driving the car off the cliff and her killing herself confused me more.  If she was in a coma right after the wedding, then she couldn't have driven her car off the cliff.  About half way through the story, I finally realized that when the story was being told from her perspective, she was in a coma.  Either I missed something in the beginning or it just wasn't really written well enough for me to understand that.  Once I understood that was what was happening, I enjoyed the story a lot more.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

I have never read a book by Carrie Turansky but I had heard a lot of good things about this one so I was eager to pick it up and read it for myself.  The story wasn't one I would typically read but I enjoyed it.  It definitely seems like a book that would fit in with what a lot of people are interested in right now (Downton Abbey, Jane Austen) especially most of my friends.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it is released.

Here is the description from the author's website about the book.

Two worlds . . . one calling. In 1911 Julia travels from the exotic land of India to Highland Hall, a magnificent English country estate. Will she follow her heart and stay on as governess for Sir William Ramsey, or will she return to her mission work and the life she left behind in India?

Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.

Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph’s two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith.

While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families—common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia’s steadfast heart and faith over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall’s future?

Carrie Turansky's Site

Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

I won this book through a contest on Soul Inspirationz while I was overseas on a mission trip last month.  I was super excited when I got back as I had seen this book in the store but hadn't picked it up yet.  I wasn't sure how long it would take me to read it so I was waiting to read when I had plenty of time.  Today was that day and I was not disappointed.  It took me around 3 hours but I read the whole thing in one sitting.  I loved the fact that it was inspired by John and Abigail Adams.

The story is about Susanna Smith who is well off because of her family.  She has a desire for higher learning and to help the less fortunate.  However, since she is a woman, she is not allowed to pursue an education and so she learns what she can from the books in her father's library as well as by listening in on her younger brother's lessons.  She wants to marry someone well of so she will be able to continue to help those who are less fortunate.  Benjamin Ross is a lawyer who comes from a poor background.  His family sold some of their land so that he might attend Harvard to become a lawyer.  He returns to his hometown and is determined to make things better for the people there.  Susanna seeks his help in helping a runaway indentured servant.  However, in the process she and Benjamin endanger their hearts as well as the lives and well being of some of the people that are closest to them.

Jody Hedlund's Blog

An Untamed Heart by Lauraine Snelling

Ingeborg is happy being at the seter during the summer with her cousins.  While there they find an injured Nils, who was still recovering from a previous injury.  Ingeborg works on helping him recover.  They end up spending time together and believe they are in love.  However, Nils has to go back to the university and Ingeborg has to go back to the farm.  Nils promises to write to her.  Then something tragic happens and Ingeborg is heartbroken.

I haven't read the books that follow this one so I wasn't really familiar with Ingeborg and her life.  I felt like the story moved to slow for me.  There was a lot of talking but not a lot of action.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley

This is the third book in Margaret Brownley's The Brides of Last Chance Ranch series.  If you have read her previous books in this series, then you will know most of the characters in this book as well.  The two main characters are Miranda Hunt and Jeremy Taggert.  Both are working undercover on a case for their employers.  Miranda, a Pinkerton Agent, goes undercover as a potential heiress in order to try and find out who the Phantom, a bank robber, is.  He is rumored to be hiding out at the Ranch.  Eleanor, the owner has placed an ad for a heiress to the ranch and Miranda answers it in order to be able to investigate for her case.  Jeremy, a Wells Fargo agent, is also undercover trying to find the Phantom.  His best friend went missing while working on the case and so he is determined to solve it and find his friend.  Miranda and Jeremy both suspect each other as working for the Phantom.  They are attracted to each other but try to put the case first.

I enjoyed this story a lot.  I have read both of the other two books in this series and so I was familiar with many of the characters as well as the incidents that had happened in the previous books.  I was surprised to find out who the Phantom really was.  I had my list of possible people but this person was definitely not one of them.  The story was written so that even when I did find out, I wasn't surprised.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

A Talent for Trouble by Jen Turano

This book centers around Miss Felicia Murdock and Mr. Grayson Sumner, which were introduced in Turano's previous books, A Most Peculiar Circumstance and A Change of Fortune.  Felicia fancied herself in love with the Reverend Michael Fraser but he has just married another.  She is determined to wallow in her self pity.  Meanwhile, her meddling mother is trying to find her husband.  She plots to get Grayson to escort Felicia to tea.  This event is just the beginning of all the trouble Felicia starts to get into.

I have enjoyed all of Jen Turano's books that I have read so far.  This was a fun-filled read that I'm sure I will come back to in the future.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Destiny Brides by Murray Pura and Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

I had not read the first story in this book of two stories before.  The first story was about Travis Logan who meets Caleb Wharton on a ship when Caleb gets sick.  Caleb gives Travis the deed to his land.  However, when Travis arrives, he finds Heaven and Angel Wharton, Caleb's daughters.  Heaven ends up shooting Caleb, thinking that he is trying to take their land.  When she realizes that he actually is there to take their land, things don't go quite as well.  The story centers around them and also introduces us a few people from Heaven's past.  I enjoyed the story, however, I wish that the characters Jake and Annabelle could have found some resolution as well.  I was left wondering what happened with them even though they weren't the main characters in this story.

The second story, which I had read before, follows Charlotte Spence and Zephaniah Parker.  Zeph finds two Amish children whose families have been killed.  The children have seen the riders who did it and are in danger of being killed.  Charlotte and Zephaniah agree to escort the children back east to their relatives.  The story has some twists I didn't see until closer to the end.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on November 1, 2013.

A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

Everett Cline was going to marry Rachel Langston's sister, Patricia until she left him.  After that, he ordered a mail-order bride which ended up not working out.  Then he ordered another one and another one after that didn't work out.  After the third one failed, he gave up on marriage.  However, Rachel has other plans.  Julia Lockwood corresponds with Rachel and has become her friend.  She agrees to become Everett's mail-order bride.  The only problem is Everett doesn't know.  Eventually, Julia and Everett agree to marry but in name only.  Everett is scared Julia will end up leaving him.  Julia has been hurt by every man she has encountered.  They both have to let go of their fears and trust God before they can realize what has been right in front of them the whole time.  I had read the prequel to this book, Love by the Letter, so I was familiar with Rachel, Dex and Everett.  A lot of things had happened in between the two stories that I at first didn't understand what had happened to Everett, but the answers were eventually given in the story.  I enjoyed the story for the most part although at times I felt like it was moving along slowly.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Plantation Christmas Weddings by Various

The first story is about Marilyn who is a widower.  Her daughter, Constance, is getting married and she is on her way to become acquainted with Beau, Constance's fiance's dad, who is also a widower, before the wedding.  Marilyn instantly takes a disliking to Beau but tries to stick it out for her daughter's sake.  Slowly she begins to realize that maybe he is not as bad as she thought.  She has to learn to deal with some things from her past before she can embrace her future.  The second story is about Meredith who is a writer and heads back to her old hometown to do some research as well as to be in a friend's wedding.  She runs into Gary, a former friend from high school.  They both are fighting hurt feelings from a misunderstanding in the past.  Meredith has to learn to let go of her past hurts and forgive.  Then next story involves Devon and Sandra  who are separated.  Their marriage seems to be falling apart.  Every time they encounter each other, tension feels the air.  Devon wants reconciliation but Sandra has to learn to let go of her hurts and anger in order for this to happen.  The last story centers around Wreath Anderson, who is the wedding planner in each of the previous stories.  She had been left at the altar on her wedding day but still manages to plan weddings for other people.  Then she runs into Micah who was one of her former fiance's close friends.  Micah is in love with Wreath but Wreath is still hanging on to her hurt from being left at the altar.  If she can let go of that, then she just might be able to have the future she's dreamed of.  I enjoyed each of these stories.  They all had a common theme in that the main character(s) were dealing with issues from their past.  They each had to learn to trust God and seek him and his will.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Mistletoe Memories by Various

This book contains four stories in one book.  The first story centers on Annaliese Braun and Stephan Yost.  Annaliese's father is the doctor for Heath House and Stephan is the resident carpenter.  Annaliese was on her way to deliver some clothing to the minister when her horses spooked and Stephan rescued her.  This is a short, sweet story that centered around secrets from the past that are eventually revealed.  The second story focuses on Ezekiel Norcross who is delivering five orphans to the town to be adopted.  However, one of the orphans is not on the original list so a temporary home has to be found for her.  She is placed with Marianne Plum who did not want to take care of her but felt like she didn't have the option to say no.
This story focuses on events that happened in the past that affect the way the characters outlook on life is in the present.  I loved how Marianne eventually let go of her past to embrace the future that was waiting for her.  The next story is about Olympia Paris and Theodore Carstairs.  They both grew up in Graff House, an orphanage.  Theodore left at the age of sixteen and has returned to tear down Graff House and rebuild a hotel on the property.  What he doesn't realize is that Olympia is still living there, taking care of the orphans that are there.  When Olympia first sees Teddy, she is overjoyed.  However, once she realizes his plans, she quickly becomes upset with him.  Teddy has to learn to let go of his past hurts and Olympia has to learn to trust that her future will turn out alright.  The last story is about Joy Benucci.  She runs a group home called Comfort House.  Then she meets Evan Lancaster.  He is the lawyer and the nephew of the now deceased owner of Comfort House.  The house was left to him in his uncle's will and now he is evicting Joy and the young adults staying there.  However, things are quite as they seem at first.  People are changed by the power of forgiveness.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on September 1, 2013.

California Romance by Colleen L. Reece

This book contains three separate stories that all center around the same family.  New characters are introduced with each story.  You can see how the events in one story have an affect on the stories later on.  Each story was pretty easy to read and I enjoyed them.  The first story centered around Sarah and Matt.  The second focused on Dori (Matt's sister) and Seth (Sarah's Brother).  The final story centered on a character introduced in the first book Sara's stepsister, Ellie and Joshua, the minister who witnessed to Red Fallon.  The stories should be read in order so that you can see how the events in the story relate to the next one.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on October 1, 2013.

A Bride for Noah by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

This book is the first in the Seattle Brides series by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith.  I've always enjoyed Lori Copeland's books and this one did not disappoint me.  The two main characters are Evie Lawrence and Noah Hughes.  Evie breaks off her engagement to her fiance and decides to head west with Noah's uncle, Miles, to start a restaurant.  Noah is working in a logging camp and had sent a letter back home to his family telling them they should come visit.  There are plenty of misunderstandings throughout the story and clashes between Evie and Noah.  I'm interested to see if the next book in the story will focus on one of the characters in this one or introduce someone completely new.

The Lighthouse Brides Collection

I enjoy all of these collections books.  The stories are not too long and I can usually read one on my lunch break so I don't have to wait until later to find out what happens!  I can't stand to put down a book in the middle of a story especially if its good!  All of these stories centered around lighthouses, kind of obvious from the title.  Some had the lighthouse more of the main setting than other stories.  Overall, I enjoyed all the stories.  They were short, fun reads!

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on October 1, 2013.

Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Lori Benton is a new author.  This is her first book.  Her website is listed below.  This story didn't hold my attention as much as other stories I've read.  I felt like the plot was moving to slow.  I enjoyed the story and if Lori Benton writes another book, I would most likely give it a try.

The story follows Burning Sky or Willa as she journeys to her parents home.  She was taken at fourteen to live with the Mohawks.  Her Mohawk family is dead and now she is going back to her real family.  Before she can make it home, she stumbles across an injured man, Neil MacGregor.  She takes him to her family's cabin to take care of him.  She encounters people from her past when she returns.  She also has to deal with lots of emotions, learning who to trust and who to be careful with.  There was one or two twists that I didn't really see coming.  Other than that, the story was pretty easy to read even though it felt like it was dragging on at times.

This book was published on August 6, 2013.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Lori Benton's Site

A Pioneer Christmas Collection

This is another one of those books that has nine stories in one.  I enjoyed all the stories.  A few of the authors I've read before, specifically Brownley, McDonough and Snelling.  Each story had a different setting and the characters were different.  Some were married and some were single.  Some had no home and some were at home with no parents.  As I've said before, I love these types of books.  They are able to be read so that if you don't have a lot of time, you can still finish the story pretty quickly.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

This book will be released on September 1, 2013.

What Once was Lost by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Since I work at a bookstore, I sometimes get to read books before they are released.  I saw this book and thought I would give it a try.  I had never read anything Kim Vogel Sawyer had written before but I enjoyed it.  I know I have blogged about one of her books, but I waited to post this blog closer to the release date in September.

The story is about Christina who runs a poor farm.  Her parents ran it until they died and now she runs it.  Then one night there is a fire and all of the residents are put out.  Christina finds a home for all of them except for Tommy, who is blind.  She finally encourages the mill owner, Levi, to take Tommy until she can find another home for him.  There is conflict and changing of hearts in this story.  Everyone is not as they appear and sometimes the characters have to learn to trust God and each other.

Free Books

I'm all about getting books for free.  I've come across some great sites that send me daily e-mails about free or discounted books.  This helps me find new authors to read and also helps my wallet because books can get expensive especially with how fast I read them!  Here are a few sites I've come across.

Inspired Reads this site sends me e-mails every day with a list of free and\or cheap books for my kindle
eReaderGirl this site has all kinds of books listed, I have this one set up in my feedly feed so I see them when I check my blogs I follow
Litfuse Group has giveaways that they offer pretty much every week

A Bride for All Seasons by Various Authors

I've read books by all four of these authors and really enjoyed them.  Debra Clopton was the author I was the least familiar with.  However, since reading this book I've read a couple of her books from the Mule Hollow series and really enjoyed them.

And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley

Mary-Jo travels to meet her future husband.  However, she arrives just in time for his funeral.  She believes that she is unlucky.  She is constantly relying on luck instead of on God.  She encounters her dead fiance's brother, Tom and son, Eddie.  She instantly bounds with Eddie.  Things with Tom are a little different.  I enjoyed this story.  It was an easy read and about trusting God instead of luck.

An Ever After Summer by Debra Clopton

Ellie answers a mail order bride advertisement.  She arrives and meets Matthew who tells her she isn't what he asked for in his advertisement since she is a "bible-thumper".  Matthew is angry about God letting his wife, Beth, die.  He and Ellie agree to marriage but he wants it to be in name only so that his daughter, Sophie, will have a mother.  This story was fun to read and I enjoyed seeing how the characters changed to be who God made them to be.

Autumn's Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher

Luvena travels with her nieces and nephew to marry Clay.  However, when she arrives, Clay was not expecting the children to be there.  Someone had changed their letters to leave out some important details.  Clay refuses to marry Luvena because of the children.  This story is about letting God have control of your life and trusting him.  It was a quick and fun read.

Winter Wedding Bells by Mary Connealy

Megan agrees to marry David and to care for his two sons.  David is looking for a mother for his sons and someone to run his ranch after he dies.  Megan refuses to believe that David is going to die and is determined to help him get well.  Megan loves David unconditionally and refuses to give up on him even when he has given up on himself.

I enjoyed all four of these stories.  It was interesting to see how Melvin Hitchcock would edit the letters so that some of the things the men or women thought they were looking for were left out.  Eventually, they realize that what they thought they wanted may not be what they needed all along.

Margaret Brownley's Site
Debra Clopton's Site
Robin Lee Hatcher's Site
Mary Connealy's Site

Stranded by Dani Pettrey

This book centers on Darcy who was introduced to us in the second book, Shattered.  She goes undercover as an adventure journalist on a cruise ship to help her friend, Abby.  Before she can talk to Abby, Abby disappears.  Then she ends up seeing Gage McKenna.  He is leading the excursion groups for the cruise ship.  Abby ends up having to go on the excursions with him and they end up having to work together to solve Abby's disappearance.  Like Shattered, I didn't see the twist being what it was.  I definitely enjoyed it.  The author wove the characters relationships with God into the story and you could see how they cared about the unsaved characters souls.

This book will be released on September 1, 2013.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

A Quote I Like

"Work is an act of worship. When people seek to fulfill their callings by glorifying God in their work, praising Him for their gifts and abilities, and seeing both their efforts and its products as an offering to Him, then work is an act of worship to God. On the other hand, when work is done to glorify oneself or merely to achieve more wealth, it becomes worship of false gods. How we work and for whom we work really matters." -When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

I love this! It's definitely changed my perspective on work.

The Miner's Lady by Tracie Peterson

This story is about the Panetta's and Calarco's.  Their families have been feuding for generations.  Isabella Panetta is in love with Orlando Calarco.  At first their families try to talk them out of it.  Then the Panetta's accept it.  Dante Calarco insists his brother give up this foolish idea.  Chantel Panetta at first tries to discourage her from pursuing this but ends up supporting her.  She goes head to head with Dante several times about this.  There is an underlying attraction between both of them that they try to resist.

When I first started reading this, I couldn't figure out who the story was really about.  A few pages in, I realized that the main character's were Chantel and Dante.  The story had a Romeo and Juliet feel to it.  Thankfully, it doesn't have quite a tragic ending.

This book will be released on September 1, 2013.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Fired Up by Mary Connealy

This is the second book in her Trouble in Texas series.  This book focuses on Glynna Greer from Swept Away.  Glynna and her children move into town to start a diner.  The only problem with this is Glynna does not know how to cook.  Before they can even get to town, an avalanche occurs injuring Dare.  Glynna ends up sewing up his wound so they can transport him back to town.  Events keep happening that throw Dare and Glynna together.  Paul, Glynna's son, wants Dare to stay away from his mother.  Then events start happening to Dare making Dare's friends, Vince, Luke and Jonas wonder who is the source of the problems.

Most of the characters in this book were introduced to us in Swept Away.  A few people return to town, the Fosters, Luke's childhood friend and also his other friend, Red Wolf.  Jonas's sister also shows up.  I have a feeling that the next book in the series may focus on her.  Mary Connealy's books are always fun and easy for me to read.  I like the fact that even though these books are part of a series, they can still be read seperately without feeling like you have missed much.  The central characters in the books are different, which I enjoy.  I don't like having to wait to see what happens in a story.  I like for the conflict to be resolved by the end.

This book will be released on September 15, 2013.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Farmers Bride Collection by Various Authors

This book contains lots of different stories about women who end up being brides to farmers (hence the title, Farmers Bride Collection).  I enjoyed reading the stories.  They weren't extremely long so I could finish a story and not feel rushed.  Depending on the story, I could read one in thirty minutes to an hour so I could wrap up the story in a short amount of time in case I needed to do something else.  If your looking for something to read that won't take a lot of time, I would recommend this book.  It has lots of shorter stories that you don't have to read all at once.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble

This is the second book in Colleen Coble's Hope Beach series.  Some of the characters from the first book are in this one as well as some new characters as well.  The story centers around Amy Lange and Curtis Ireland.  They both lost siblings recently.  Amy is determined that her brother's death was no accident and wants to find out what happened.  She ends up getting Curtis to help her.  They find out that things are not always as they appear.  I really enjoyed this story.  It definitely centers on forgiveness.  I say this a lot about I normally can figure out what's going to happen, but the ending of this book definitely through me for a look.  Stop reading here and don't read anymore since I might spoil the book for you.

I knew Heather, the girl Amy took in, was up to something.  I never expected her to kidnap Raine.  I was thinking that she wanted to look for Curtis's sister, Gina's laptop.  I had a feeling that Amy's brother, Ben, was still alive.  I thought that maybe he went into hiding since Gina's death.  Early on I felt like maybe Raine wasn't really Ben's daughter but someone else's and that he was just trying to protect Gina.  I did not see the senator's wife being involved in this at all.

North Star Brides by Erica Vetsch

This book is a three stories in one book.  The first story is entitles The Bartered Bride.  The story is about Jonathan Kennebrae and Melissa Brooke.  Their families have arranged their marriage as a business opportunity.  Melissa and Jonathan want no part of this.  However, Jonathan has to go forward with this or he will lose the shipping business that he has worked so hard to keep going for his grandfather.  This story has some misunderstandings between the characters but they are resolved pretty quickly.  Towards the end, I was wondering if the story would end the way I wanted it to and it did.  I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading about what happens with Jonathan's brother, Noah, in the second story, The Marriage Masquerade.

In The Marriage Masquerade, Noah Kennebrae is looking to escape Duluth and the bad memories from the night he wrecked his ship.  He also doesn't want to marry the girl his grandfather has picked out for him.  He decides to change his name and take a job as a lightkeeper's assistant.  Anastasia Michaels is shocked when she finds out her father is arranging a marriage for her.  She doesn't want to be in an loveless marriage so she comes up with a plan to run away.  She ends up taking a job as the housekeeper for the lighthouse keeper and his wife.  The story is about how these two deal with memories from their past as well as fight their growing attraction to each other when they both have secrets to hide.  The story ends with the introduction of the last Kennebrae sibling, Eli.

The Engineered Engagement

All Eli Kennebrae wants to do is design ships.  However, his grandfather has other plans for him as well.  He wants him to marry one of the Zahn girls.  Josie Zahn has been in love with Eli for over four years since she met him at the Shipbuilder's ball where he danced with her sister Clarice.  An announcement is made after Noah and Annie's wedding on the engagement of Eli and Clarice.  All kinds of secrets are kept.  Clarice loves another.  Josie masquerades as a math professor.  Eli just wants to build his ship.  All these secrets eventually come out.  I definitely enjoyed all three stories in this book.  I would definitely read them again and was glad that I got to see how each brother in the family ended up.

I received this book for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Remember Me When by Ginny Aiken

This book is the second in Ginny Aiken's Women of Hope Series.  The story follows Faith Nolan who is accused of murdering her husband, Roger.  Nathan Bartlett (he was briefly mentioned in For Such A Time As This) is the logging camp owner near where Faith and her husband lived.  He, his workers and Faith's brother-in-law, Theo, are the ones who find what Roger dead.  Theo accuses Faith of killing his brother and is insistent that she hangs for his death.  Faith maintains she is innocent.

Faith has hope in God that he will protect her throughout the book.  The people around her have let her down, but she holds onto her faith despite her circumstances.  I didn't really see the resolution turning out the way it did.  I definitely was leaning towards a different direction.  I feel like a few minor things were not resolved with incidents that happend with Faith in town.  I may have missed them though.  Otherwise, I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to when the next in the series is released next year.

Swept Away by Mary Connealy

This is the first book in her Trouble in Texas series.  If you've read any of her other books, you would know that most of the series are connected.  This series is connected to The Kincaide Brides Series.  The character Luke Stone in this book is the brother of Cassie in the last book, Over the Edge.  The nice thing is you can read this series with out having to read the other series first.  The only connection is that they are siblings.  None of the characters in this book are in Over the Edge.

This story follows Luke who is on his way to take back his family ranch from a man named Greer.  He believes that Greer murdered his father and has proof that the man does not own the ranch.  Now he wants revenge and his ranch.  He stumbles over Ruthy MacNeil who was crossing the river with her wagon train when the water's rose and she was taken away by the current.  He ends up having to bring her with him since she does not have anywhere else to go.

I found the story easy to read.  I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading the second book, Fired Up.

When Love Blooms by Robin Lee Hatcher

I have been doing tons of reading but not a lot of blogging.  Some books I'm waiting to post on closer to the release date.  Here is an older book that I read recently.

The glimpse of the story on the back of the book doesn't really give you any idea of what the story is about.  In fact, it confused me a little even after reading the book.  I enjoyed the story.  The main character, Emily, did what I expected her to most of the time.  There were a couple of things I had trouble figuring out in the beginning but as I read I figured them out.  I can't expect everything to be explained to me in the beginning.

This story is about Emily Harris who leaves Washington DC and heads back to Idaho to help her sister's family on their ranch.  While there, she realizes that she wants to do something else.  She runs across an ad for a governess and goes and interviews with Mrs. Blake.  Mrs. Blake is ill and wants someone to teach her daughters for a year even after she dies.  She wants them to have a woman's influence and also to be able to keep up with their schooling.  Mr. Blake is against this but goes along with it for his wife.  That's basically the beginning.  I won't reveal anymore but there are definitely other characters and twists involved.  Nothing surprising but I enjoy reading a book that ends the way I would like it to.

Robin Lee Hatcher's Site

The Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson

I read this book awhile ago but decided to reread it so I could blog about it since I just read the second in the series.  The story is about Merrill Krause who is the only woman in family.  Her mother has passed away and so she is left with her father and brothers.  She isn't interested so much in feminine pursuits but is practical.  Any man that has ever been interested in her is scared off by her brothers.  Rurik Jorgenson leaves behind is family to help his uncle in his carpentry business.  He is engaged to be married but calls it off before he leaves because he does not love her.  Rurik ends up helping the Krause family with their icecutting.  Rurik and Merrill are strongly attracted to each other.  However, before anything can come of this, Rurik's former fiancee, Svea, and her brother, Nils, Rurik's best friend show up.  Svea claims that they are still engaged.  There is a lot of tension between the characters.  The story definitely involves the characters showing faith and trust in each other and learning to forgive.  I enjoyed reading this story.  On a note related to the second book, I thought maybe it would be about Merrill's brothers but it wasn't.  I was kind of disappointed because I wanted to see how they would work out.  Still, I enjoyed both books so far in this series and can't wait until the third one is released in September.

The Quarryman's Bride by Tracie Peterson

This is the second book in the Land of Shining Waters series.  The stories aren't related at all.  In fact, I don't think the books contain any of the same characters.  I read the first book awhile ago and will post on it later. This story is about Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan.  It starts out with them at the funeral of Emmalyne's sisters.  They were killed in a tornado.  Emmalyne and Tavin are engaged to be married.  All of that changes when Emmalyne's father refuses to let them marry and insists that their family is moving away.  Duty and family obligations keep Tavin and Emmalyne apart for more than ten years.  Their paths eventually cross again.

The characters in this story experience a lot of heartbreak as well as reconciliation.  They experience forgiveness and joy.  It's a story about love, forgiveness and allowing God to work through you in the lives of those around you.  I loved this story and will definitely read it again.

Tracie Peterson's Site

Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter

I picked up this book a week or so ago and decided to read it today.  It's the first in a new series by Denise Hunter.  The story is about Madison McKinley.  She has decided to sail in the town's regatta.  There is only one problem.  She doesn't know how to sail or swim.  Add in the fact that she is doing this to fulfill her deceased twin brothers dream and is being taught to sail by someone that she is drawn to (but doesn't want to be) and that makes it even more of a fun story.  Beckett O'Reilly ends up having to teach Madison to swim and sail despite the fact that he is trying to avoid her.  Both of them have secrets that they are dealing with.

I loved reading this book.  It definitely kept my attention the whole time.  It wasn't a difficult read, but there were a few plot line twists that I didn't see coming but made sense.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series as soon as it is released.

Denise Hunter's Site

A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch

I read this story previously but read it again as part of Great Plains Brides.  The story is set in 1878 and is about Addie Reid.  She and her uncle moved to Dodge City to open a photography studio.  Before they could open the studio, her uncle passes away.  She decides that she is going to continue on her own.  She encounters trouble at the bank when she goes to take over her uncles mortgage.    Her closest friend is Fran Seaton.  She works at the mercantile and is determined to find a man who is interesting.  Her family friend, Jonas, is interested in her but she finds him too boring.  Jonas is a sheriff's deputy and his friend, Miles, becomes one too.  They try and look out for Addie and Fran.  The story has murder and romance.  It's a fun read and I enjoyed it.

I got Great Plains Brides for free from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review for receiving this book.

Shattered by Dani Pettrey

This is the first book I've read by Dani Pettrey.  I really enjoyed the story.  Although it's the second in the series, I didn't feel like I was missing the main points of the story but not starting with the first book.  If I had started with the first book, I probably would have understood more about Piper and Landon and their past.  However, the story is focused on solving the murder of Karli that Piper's brother, Reef, is accused of committing.  Piper and Landon end up investigating the murder on their own.  You see how their relationship is affected by the investigation.  Although the story is mainly about these two characters, you also get glimpses of Gage and Darcy, who the third book in the series is centered on.  You also get to glimpses into the killer's mind even though you don't know who he is.  I definitely wasn't expecting the ending of who was behind the killing, which made it a great story.  I'm definitely looking forward to picking up the first book in the series and the third when it is released.

Dani Pettrey's Site

A Bride's Sweet Surprise in Sauers, Indiana by Ramona K. Cecil

I picked this book up yesterday and read it last night when I got home from work.  It's about Regina who is the youngest daughter in her family.  She is the last one at home in her family.  Her two sisters have married and moved out.  Neither of her sisters married a German farmer, which is what their father wanted.  Now her father is determined to make sure Regina marries a German farmer.  Her father has arranged a marriage for her with Diedrich who is immigrating from Germany with his father.  Regina is determined to make sure this marriage does not happen.  It's a fun read to see how each character changes in the their feelings and the twists (one I didn't see coming) that happen that can have a huge impact on the story.  I enjoyed this book a lot and actually found out that it will be released in a book called Great Plains Brides with another story called A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch.  I have also read this story as well.  I'll have a separate post on that one.

I received a copy of Great Plains Brides from Netgalley.  However, I have also purchased both of these books previously as well.

The Immigrant Brides Collection by Various Authors

This book is actually nine stories in one.  I've actually read several of them before in previous books.  I always feel like I'm getting a deal though since it's nine stories in one book.  Anyways, the stories in this book are all about immigrants (if you couldn't tell from the title).  I haven't completely finished the whole book yet, but I've enjoyed all the stories so far.

I received this book from NetGalley to read and review.

Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck

This is actually the third book in the series.  I didn't realize that until I was about half way through it.  This book has been out for awhile, but I picked it up since it looked cute and was set in the lowcountry.  It's about Joy Ballard who hosts a cooking show but can't cook.  She has kept this a secret from everyone except for her family and some of the crew on the show.  Then Luke Redmond comes onto the show as her co-host.  He's a real chef but is brought on the show because of the chemistry he and Joy have.  Her secret gets revealed and her world falls apart.  I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil the ending.  I enjoyed the book and I have Love Starts with Elle on my to read list.  I think that one is number two in the series.  I think I'm going backwards.

A Hopeful Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

I started this book this afternoon and then the power went out when I was almost finished.  I had to search and find a flashlight.  Once I did, I managed to finish the book with my flashlight in hand.  I really enjoyed this  story.  There was one twist at the end that I didn't see coming until it was almost on me.  However, some of them were a little more predictable.  I didn't really mind as I like the story to end how I want it to end and this one did.  The story follows Tressa Neill as she goes out west to the Wyatt Herdsman School run by Hattie Wyatt.  Hattie founds the school for young women to learn ranching skills in order to find a husband.  Enter Ablel Samms who is not searching for a wife.  He does all he can to avoid the young women at Hattie's school .  This is hard for him since his ranch borders Hattie's.  {SPOILER ALERT]  Don't read this next section if you don't want to be spoiled if you haven't read the book.  I thought that maybe Tressa's aunt and uncle who had forced her to go out west would eventually show up with some kind inheritance especially after Abel's house is burned.  However, this never happened.  In fact, the aunt and uncle never were really a big part of the story at all.  [END SPOILER]  I really enjoyed this book.  I'm sure I will read it again.  G

Kim Vogel Sawyer's Site

Love Finds You In Folly Beach South Carolina by Loree Lough

I read this book in a few hours after the power came back on tonight.  If you can't tell from the title, it's set in Folly Beach South Carolina.  Since I live in the area, I was a little bit familiar with the setting.  Most of the the  setting seemed pretty accurate.  There were a few things that I wasn't 100% sure about but it didn't take away from the story.  The story is about Holly Leonard, a marine biologist, and Parker Brant, a charter boat captain.  Holly comes to Folly Beach to help Parker write a book on sea turtles.  The story focuses more on Holly and Parker and Parker's family than on the actually writing of the book.  I was expecting the story to be more about their relationship and them on the boat and incidents happening that way.  This wasn't how it was at all.  However, I enjoyed the way the story did go and a couple of twists I did not see coming.  I would definitely read this one again.  G

Loree Lough's Site

Lowcountry based books

I love living in the lowcountry.  The live oak trees are gorgeous and the houses are beautiful.  Then you have the water and the sunsets.  Well, it doesn't get much prettier.  Anyways, I love to read about books that are set in places I'm familiar with.  Beth Webb Hart is one of those writers.  I have not personally read any of her books, but I had a friend who recently read one.  When she was telling her daughter about the book, her daughter wanted to actually go see the house the characters lived in.  She actually lives here in the lowcountry.  MaryLu Tyndall is another author who has written some books with a setting in Charleston.  I have read her CharlesTowne Belles series and enjoyed it immensely.  They are three historical books so it helps put into perspective the history during that time frame.  Deeanne Gist wrote Beguiled with J. Mark Bertrand.  This book takes place in modern day Charleston so it was a fun read for me.  I often walk some of the streets mentioned in the story.  Another book set in present day is Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones.  Rachel Hauck has also written several books set in the lowcountry.  I have several on my to read list.  Denise Hildreth Jones wrote several books set in Savannah.  I enjoyed that whole series by her.  If you like reading books with a southern setting, I suggest you check out these authors.  Most of these authors books have been out for awhile but if you haven't read them, I would definitely recommend them!

Sisters of Mercy Flats by Lori Copeland

While looking over the reviews on Goodreads, I came to realize that the author wrote this book back in 1992.  Since that time, she started writing Christian fiction and so did a rewrite of the novel and re-released it.  I've always loved Lori Copeland's books and I enjoyed this one as well.  I'm not sure if this is the first in a series or not since the cover didn't say.  I could easily see where it could be though.  Some of the reviews I read stated that God was kind of an after thought and not central to the story.  I could see that in some regards, but knowing that the author probably had to rewrite to remove scenes and add scenes that might be why it seems that way.  I enjoyed the book.  It didn't really leave me guessing as to what would happen, but I would definitely read it again.

Lori Copeland's Site

A Place to Belong by Lauraine Snelling

I picked up this book thinking that it looked interesting.  It was the third in a series and I hadn't read any of the other books.  I knew from some research that the story continued from book to book, but I thought that I could get away with reading the last one.  Honestly, I didn't understand some of the things in the story because I hadn't read the previous books.  I felt like the story kind of dragged along for me.  It didn't have as much romance as I'm used to.  Maybe it's the style of writing, but I just didn't like it.  This book is going into my get rid of pile.  Maybe I'll give this author another try with a different book, but this one did not win me over as a reader.  G

Lauraine Snelling's site

Out of Control by Mary Connealy

I've actually read this book before, but it was available as a free download to my kindle so I downloaded it.  I read it last night and enjoyed it.  Sometimes I forget what happens or get different stories mixed up when I reread books so it's still fun for me.  This book follows Julia who ends up stuck in a cavern on Rafe's ranch.  He hears her cries and comes to her rescue.  Julie is big into exploring fossils and Rafe is just trying to keep his brother, Ethan, from leaving the ranch he just returned to.  The story starts out with Rafe rescuing her and then he and Ethan end up taking her back to her stepmom and sister.  The stepmom turns out to be someone close to Julia's own age.  Things take a turn for the worse after this.  You meet Seth, Rafe and Ethan's other brother, Julia's dad and learn more about the caverns and what has happened there.  There are two more books in this series and I've read them both.  Right now I can't find the second one so until I do, I don't want to blog about the third one.  G

Mary Connealy's Site

Talon by Ronie Kendig

I read the first book in this series, Trinity, a while ago.  I feel like I should have reread it so I could remember what was happening in order to follow the characters in this story more closely.  This story follows  Aspen Courtland and her quest to find her missing twin brother who is presumed to be killed in action.  She has adopted his tracking dog, Talon, and is working with him to get over his PTSD.  She encounters Dane Markoski, also known as Cardinal, who knew her brother.  He sets her up to contact him without her knowing that he has.  The story flashes back every once in awhile to scenes from his past.  From the beginning, you know that all is not as it appears to be with Dane.  There are also some scenes between a few other characters and you don't realize the importance of them until the end of the book.  There are definitely some twists that you don't see coming.  If you haven't read Trinity, I would recommend you start there and then read Talon.  If you want some interesting information from Ronie Kendig on war dogs, go to the site here.  This is from the christian fiction scavanger hunt I participated in last week.  Sadly, I didn't win, but it was still fun.  G

Ronie Kendig's Site

Josiah's Treasure by Nancy Herriman

This was the first book I read by Nancy Herriman.  I really enjoyed the story and it wasn't very hard to follow.  The story follows Sarah Whittier who is trying to establish an art studio run by women who have fallen on hard times.  She is able to do this by the inheritance left her by Josiah Cady.  However, Daniel Cady enters the picture claiming to be Josiah's son and rightful heir with his sisters.  Sarah and Daniel are both looking to escape their pasts and look towards Josiah's money to aid them in their future.  The story follows them as they try to reconcile their differences and tolerate each other while Daniel tries to claim his inheritance.  The story took a few turns I was expecting which was a good thing.  I enjoyed this book and would read it again!  G

Nancy Herriman's Site

A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano

I know I said I would post about Josiah's Treasure next but I was in my car and I had just purchased this book so I started to read it while I was waiting.  This book brings in characters from her previous book, A Change of Fortune. I have never read that book, but I didn't feel as if I was missing anything from it.  The story follows Arabella Beckett who is a champion for women's rights.  She finds herself in a predicament and is rescued by Theodore Wilder who was sent to find her.  These two are constantly butting heads throughout the whole book.  I enjoyed the story and found it fun to see what Arabella would do next.  The ending kind of took me by surprise because I thought the conflict had been resolved but then another twist was introduced.  Now I find myself wanting to read Turano's first book as well.  She has also written a short novella entitled A Gentleman of Her Dreams.  I didn't realize I had this book on my kindle until I picked up A Most Peculiar Circumstance.  The novella can be read by itself, but I would suggest reading it between the two books since I'm assuming it ties into the ending of the first book.  I would definitely read this one again and am looking forward to purchasing A Change of Fortune soon.  G

Jen Turano's Site

Trouble in Store by Carol Cox

I read this book this afternoon after church.  The book is about Melanie Ross and Caleb Nelson.  Melanie is forced to leave her job as a governess and seek out employment from her cousin's business partner.  She is not prepared to find out he is dead and that his nephew has taken over his business (the mercantile).  She claims she has just as much right to be there as he does and so conflict ensues.  The story follows them and the trouble surrounding the mercantile.  The villain wasn't who I was expecting but that's what makes it a good story.  This is another book that I would read again.  G

Coming up next:  Josiah's Treasure

Carol Cox's Site

Gone South by Meg Moseley

I started this book when I came home yesterday from the beach, but was so tired I started to fall asleep.  I put it down took a nap and then when I woke up, stayed up until midnight finishing it.  I don't believe I've read anything by Meg Moseley before so I wasn't sure what to expect.  However, I really enjoyed this book.  It's about Tish McComb who ends up buying her ancestor's Civil War era home.  She ends up taking in Melanie Hamilton, the town prodigal.  They both are shunned by pretty much the whole town except for George Zorbas and his uncle.  The book follows Meg and her search to find out about her ancestors and Melanie and her search to figure out her life.  The book has some twists and some resolutions but leaves some things open at the end.  The author could definitely carry on in another book with some of the other characters that were introduced.  Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read it again.  G

Meg Moseley

Love at Any Cost by Julie Lessman

I started this book yesterday at the beach and I couldn't put it down.  We had to leave before I was at the end so I finished it in the car on the way home.  Good thing I didn't drive!  This book is mainly about Cassidy McClare and Jamie McKenna.  Cassidy comes to San Francisco to visit her cousins and get over her broken heart as well as escape financial troubles back home.  Jamie is an up and coming lawyer who is trying to better his family and marry wealthy.  Obviously, I loved this book.  There were definitely a lot of twists in the end that I did not see coming, but it still ended the way I would have wanted it too.  I will definitely be keeping this one to read again.  G

Julie Lessman's Site

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

I stumbled upon Karen Witemeyer a few years ago.  I really like her books and I find her comparable to Deeanne Gist and Cathy Marie Hake.  This book starts with Crockett Archer headed to interview for a position at a church.  If you have read her previous book, Short Straw Bride, you will recognize him as one of the four Archer brothers.  While on the train headed to his interview, he is kidnapped by a group of outlaws.  These outlaws don't want money.  The leader takes him to his daughter, Joanna Robbins, who wants a preacher for her birthday.  When Joanna finds out  he is there against his will, she lets him go but asks him to consider becoming their pastor.  There were a few twists along the way that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed this book and definitely will be keeping it on the shelf for reading again.  G

Karen Witemeyer's Site

It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist

The story follows Cullen who travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his invention.  His father basically forces him to go.  I was kind of confused at first reading this because the way she wrote things made me confused as to if the people couldn't speak correctly or something else was going on.  It took me a little while into the story to figure out that Cullen was losing his hearing and that was another reason he didn't want to go.  He meets Della who is a teacher to the deaf and recruits her to help him.  The story then follows him trying to sell his invention and Della helping him learn to read lips and the course their relationship takes.  I enjoyed this book with the exception of the confusion at the beginning.  Now that I know why the characters talked like that, it clears up a lot of things, but that would have been helpful at the beginning.  I will definitely read this one again.  It definitely had my happy ending!  G

Deeanne Gist's Site

Up next on the Shelf:  Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck

I saw this book and I had to get it.  I follow her on facebook and I also follow her on a blog she does with several other authors so I knew she had written a new book.  I picked it up on Sunday and read it until I finished it.  It was a great read.  It took me about 2 to 3 hours to read it.  The book is about Susanna Truitt.  It starts out with her and her boyfriend breaking up after a twelve year relationship.  I don't want to spoil the story line but she meets Prince Nathaniel.  The story follows these two through their friendship\relationship.  There were several twists, to me, that seemed predictable but then it's hard to catch me off guard because I think of all the ways a story could go.  I tend to remember little details when I'm reading so the ending didn't really surprise me, but it's the way I would have wanted the story to end.  I like happy endings.  This one definitely had that and I would definitely keep it on the shelf to read again and again.  G

Rachel Hauck's Site

The Beginning

I love to read.  I've been reading for as long as I can remember.  I'm constantly buying books.  Normally, I can't wait for it to go on sale, because I'm just so excited one of my favorite authors has published a new book.  I mostly read fiction although I occasionally will read other things as well.  I normally finish a fiction book in one sitting, because I want to know how the story ends.  I decided recently that since I read a lot, I'm going to give feedback on the books I read.  Books on the shelf are ones that I haven't read yet.  Below are the books that I'm starting with.  G