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