Saturday, October 11, 2014

Cindy Woodsmall

A Love Undone
by Cindy Woodsmall

book cover of 

A Love Undone
A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?

At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life - and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.

Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him - that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him...until he met Jolene.

As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God's guidance - or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?

MY REVIEW
Andy is an honarable man, who fears the Lord and lives according to the Amish order. But he has a problem that is unheard of in their community. His wife had left him, and since divorce is not an option for the amish, he cannot remarry.

Jolene is a young woman, who was preparing to marry her sweetheart before a tragedy took both of her parents lives.. Now she has to make a tough choice between what she wants and what is best for her family.

But she has secrets that she's not sure how to bring to light.


What will happen to these two great characters when they get drawn to each other, but can't have a relationship other than friendship? Even their friendship is challenged by the Bishop.


There are plenty of twists and turns within the book, and I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. This is a book that is so different from most Amish books that I found that it was hard to put down.


I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Mary Connealy

Tried and True

(Book 1 in The Wild at Heart series)
by
book cover of 

Tried and True 

 Kylie Wilde fought in the Civil War dressed as a boy and now she's homesteading as a man. But she makes one lousy man! When land agent Aaron Masterson comes to inspect her claim, he immediately realizes she's a woman. She begs him not to tell, but can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government, even if she really did serve in the war?

Aaron is interested in the little spitfire from the moment her long hair falls from her cap, but when he tells her of his plan to stake his own claim, farther west and up in the mountains, she draws away. Kylie's focus is to "prove up" her homestead, sell it for a profit, move back east, and live the rest of her life in civilization.

But all Kylie's future plans are put in jeopardy when someone tries to burn her out. Who would attack her way out here? Aaron and Kylie suspect it's the local land baron--but Gage Coulter denies any involvement. He does suggest a way for Kylie to stay safe, though--marry him! More attacks scare Kylie near to death, and she can't face living on her own any longer. Should she tie her fortune to Gage or Aaron? Either choice will put an end to her dreams of a civilized life. And what if marrying doesn't stop the attacks after all?


MY REVIEW
5 stars

In the first of this new series, we meet Kylie and her sisters who are pretending to be men.

Kylie Wilde is very girly but is pressured by her father to pretend to be a man in order to claim land during the land rush.

After her experiences in the Civil War dressed as a man, she wants desperately to be a woman again, living in a civilized area, not a homestead on the frontier.

Aaron Masterson is the local agent and not fooled by the Wilde. He only wonders how she ever managed to make it through the Civil War as a male spy.

When someone wants to scare Kylie off her land , she wonders if pleasing her father is worth it.

I love how Mrs. Conneleys books are always so much fun and also suspenseful.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishing for providing this book to me in exchange for my honest review.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Holley Gerth

What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days
by Holley Gerth


What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days
When something difficult happens, it’s easy to wonder, “Where are you, God?” And his answer is always the same: “I’m with you.” Sometimes he makes his presence known through the hands and feet of people in our lives. Sometimes he quietly whispers to our hearts. Sometimes he works through circumstances to let us know we’re not alone.
Why does God do this? The answer in the psalm above seems downright scandalous. David says, “He rescued me because he delighted in me” (Ps. 18:19).  Yet when bad things happen in our lives, one of the first assumptions we often make is that God must be really upset with us.
The enemy would love to persuade you that God is against you. He would love for you to become convinced that you don’t have God’s support. He would love to make you believe that you’ve fallen beyond God’s ability to hold you up.
Will you pause for a moment and reject those lies? We live in a fallen, broken world, and we all face difficulties. That doesn’t mean we’re being punished. Jesus lived an absolutely perfect life, and yet he was still “a man of suffering and familiar with pain” (Isa. 53:3). None of us gets to go through life without hard times. That doesn’t say anything about you except this: you’re human.
God knows that as humans we’re weak and frail. He knows we need help. He wants to offer that to us. Yet it’s up to us to receive it. And if we think he’s mad at us, then that’s a lot harder to do.
Perhaps it’s time to shift your perspective to align with what’s really true.
God isn’t disappointed in you.
He wants to delight in you.
And he will give you the support you need.
XOXO






Right Here with You by Holley Gerth




Saturday, July 19, 2014

Surviving Henry

Surviving Henry

Adventures in Loving a Canine Catastrophe


Cover Art

About

Sometimes you seek out love. And sometimes it broadsides you.
You don't always know what you're getting into when you bring home a puppy. You hope for laughs and cuddles, long walks and a wagging tail. And sometimes you get . . . Henry.

Henry is a boxer who suffers from Supreme Dictator of the Universe Syndrome. He vandalizes his obedience school, leaps through windows, cheats death at every turn, and generally causes his long-suffering owner Erin Taylor Young to wonder what on earth she did wrong that God would send this dog to derail her life.

But this rogue torpedo of a dog wasn't sent to torment his owner--well, not just to torment her. Through all the hair-pulling and questioning of her own sanity, Erin learns something very powerful from Henry, a dog who brings new meaning to the concept of unconditional love.

Through his laugh-out-loud antics and jaw-dropping escapades, Henry will careen into your life and steal your heart.




Erin Taylor YoungErin Taylor Young is a humor writer who works in a library, where she gets to wander among books. She has written for Today's Christian Woman, Outdoor Guide Magazine, and MidWest Outdoors. A finalist in the Phoenix Rattler 2011-2012 writing contest and in the Genesis 2012 contest for her contemporary fiction, Erin lives in Oklahoma with her well-meaning husband, two polar-opposite sons, and a noncompliant dog.
























Elizabeth Camden

With Every Breath

book cover of 

With Every Breath

In the shadow of the nation's capital, Kate Livingston holds a respectable position as a government statistician when she encounters a rival from her past, the insufferable Trevor McDonough. A Harvard-trained physician, Trevor never showed the tiniest flicker of interest in Kate, and she's bewildered at the way he suddenly seeks her out. Surprising even herself, Kate agrees to Trevor's entirely unexpected and risky proposal to work side-by-side with him in his quest to rid the world of tuberculosis, a contagious and deadly disease.

As Kate begins to unlock the mysteries of Trevor's past, she realizes there is much more to him than she could have imagined. His hidden depths may fascinate her, but his most closely guarded secrets and a shadowy enemy lurking in the background carry a serious threat to their future.

When the truth of the past comes out, threatening to destroy everything they hold dear, how will Trevor and Kate ever overcome all that stands in their way?

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Through the Deep Waters

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Through the Deep Waters
A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn't old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive. The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her.  Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ's love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?









Cindy Thomson

Ellis Island Series

Grace's Pictures
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Grace's Pictures
Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.


Annie's Stories
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Annie's Stories
The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment - they're a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.

But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie - and in her father's unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.

Though the postman's intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father's stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she's always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.












Saturday, June 28, 2014

Jody Hedlund

Captured By Love
by Jody Hedlund


book cover of 

Captured By Love
It is 1814 and the British have taken hold of Mackinac Island and its fort, forcing American residents to swear an oath of loyalty to the British crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a voyageur--a fur trader who left his family home to find freedom and adventure. He's been gone five years and when he returns, his family's farm is at the mercy of the British invaders.

Torn between the life he's grown used to and guilt over leaving his brother and mother, he's drawn back into the loyalist fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique Labelle, a beautiful local girl who's been befriended by the daughter of the British commander. As tensions mount and the threat of violence increases, both Angelique and Pierre must decide where their loyalties rest, how far they will go to find freedom, and how much they will risk to find love.







MY REVIEW

2 Stars Out Of 5 
                
Captured by *KISSSES*

Captured by kisses, is what the title of this book should have been. Although the story of the book was interesting, I found myself disappointed by too much description of the physical attraction between the characters, and way too much kissing in this book.

It seemed like Pierre and Angelique only liked one another for their physical appearances. There are numerous times when one thought of another's body, curves, muscles. Too much was put in stock in the physical in this book and it practically replaced a great story line.

I would not recommend this book to any girl under 18 years old. It's gives a false message of what true love is. Most Christian fiction authors write books from "love from the first sight" perspective. That needs to be changed. Love doesn't grow on physical appearance alone.

I was so frustrated and annoyed to find so much kissing in this story that I can't write about anything else.

When I think over this book this is all I remember:, "kissing" and "desiring". Christian romances shouldn't be read like worldly romances. Just because you throw God here and there, it doesn't make it a Christian read.

I received a free copy of Captured by Love from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

90 minutes in Heaven

90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN
by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey










Cover Art
Publisher's Description


On the way home from a conference, Don Piper's car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven, awed by its beauty and music.
Ninety minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth with only the memory of inexpressible heavenly bliss. His faith in God was severely tested as he faced an uncertain and grueling recovery. Now he shares his life-changing story with you.
90 Minutes in Heaven offers a glimpse into a very real dimension of God's reality. It encourages those recovering from serious injuries and those dealing with the loss of a loved one. The experience dramatically changed Piper's life, and it will change yours too.

ATLAS GIRL

ATLAS GIRL
By: Emily T. Wierenga













Emily Wierenga has the heart of a poet. You will know it as you are carried along by her graceful prose and by the way your heart dips and soars. She tells her story, in her memoir Atlas Girl, with honesty and deep humility.

It is the story of a little girl so hungry for love she nearly died from starvation in a desperate attempt to find it. It was a battle she would fight for many years.

As a young woman, she continued to run after love, searching in relationships, Christian service, and far-away places. Her journey took her across continents and ended in the last place she expected - home. Home - to the family she had run away from and to the God whose love she finally understood.

It is a story of redemption, forgiveness, grace and unconditional love. It is our story. Us, with all our faults and failures, finding a way back to God and to the people closest to our hearts.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.

Atlas Girl: Finding Home in the Last Place I Thought to Look  -     By: Emily T. Wierenga
Publisher's Description

Disillusioned and yearning for freedom, Emily Wierenga left home at age eighteen with no intention of ever returning. Broken down by organized religion, a childhood battle with anorexia, and her parents' rigidity, she set out to find God somewhere else--anywhere else. Her travels took her across Canada, Central America, the United States, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. She had no idea that her faith was waiting for her the whole time--in the place she least expected it.

Poignant and passionate, Atlas Girl is a very personal story of a universal yearning for home and the assurance that we are known, forgiven, and beloved. Readers will find in this memoir a true description of living faith as a two-way pursuit in a world fraught with distraction. Anyone who wrestles with the brokenness we find in the world will love this emotional journey into the arms of the God who heals all wounds.

Carol Cox

Truth Be Told
by Carol Cox

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Truth Be Told
When Amelia Wagner takes over the running of her father's newspaper in Granite Springs, Arizona, she vows to carry on the paper's commitment to reporting only the truth. But Amelia soon learns that even the truth can have consequences. Her father's revealing articles about Great Western Investment Company's business methods have caught the notice of the wrong person, and pressure mounts for Amelia to retract her father's statements.Determined to find the truth, Amelia goes through her father's notes and begins to interview members of the community. She can't seem to shake Benjamin Stone, a Great Western employee who's been assigned to keep tabs on her for the good of the company.The more Ben and Amelia learn, the more Amelia's father's claims appear to be accurate. In fact, it's probably worse than he realized. Even Ben is beginning to wonder if he's become a pawn in the workings of a corrupt empire. But Great Western isn't about to stand for a female reporter and one of their own men bringing down their lucrative schemes. Working against time, and never knowing what danger lurks around the next corner, Ben and Amelia set out to reveal all they've discovered before Great Western silences them for good.



Friday, June 20, 2014

A Triple Knot by Emma Campion

A TRIPLE KNOT
by Emma Campion

book cover of 

A Triple Knot


The critically acclaimed author of The King's Mistress brings another fascinating woman from history to life in an enthralling story of political intrigue, personal tragedy, and illicit love.Joan of Kent, the renowned beauty and niece of King Edward III, seems blessed with a life of royal privilege until her father is executed for treason and she becomes a ward of the king, living amongst those who deem her the daughter of a traitor. Joan begins to understand the brutal constraints and dangers inherent in being of royal blood. There is one at court who loves her, but his love proves the greatest threat of all.

As an impetuous teenager, she escapes into a clandestine marriage in a bid for freedom, then must hide it for nearly a decade, as her guardians marry her off to another man. After her first husband's death, Joan - now a mother of four - enters into another scandalous relationship, this time with the heir to the British throne, Prince Edward, hero of Crécy and Poitiers, who has loved her all along. But his devotion comes at a terrible price. Haunted by nightmares of her father's execution and the ruthlessness of her royal kin, Joan must reconcile her passion for the crown prince with the potentially tragic costs of a royal life.






Saturday, May 10, 2014

A Beauty so Rare by Tamera Alexander

Belmont Mansion Series #2
A Beauty So Rare
by Tamera Alexander

A Beauty So Rare, Belmont Mansion Series #2   -     By: Tamera Alexander

Product Description

She's plain, practical. No stunning Southern beauty. And she never wears pink...Eleanor Braddock, a spinster at 30, has long since dismissed any hope of marriage. But when a dying soldier whispers his final words, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. But this compassionate deed takes a harsh turn, and Eleanor finds herself dependent upon the richest woman in America and the most despised woman in Nashville--her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, mistress of Belmont Mansion. A clandestine act of kindness leads Eleanor to an unlikely path for her life--building an orphanage, a place that will house widows and orphans from the Civil War. And while Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve.








Friday, April 18, 2014

Jessica Dotta

Price of Privilege

Born of Persuasion
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Born of Persuasion
The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston's position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.

With two months to devise a better plan, Julia's first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother's mysterious past. Before she knows what's happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country's most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.



Mark of Distinction

book cover of 

Mark of Distinction
London is said to be the glittering jewel of society, a world unto itself - but to Julia Elliston it is a city of shadows. Her life is swiftly dissolving into scandal. And in Victorian society, even a whisper of scandal - substantiated or not - can be the death of a young woman's reputation.

When Julia discovers that Lord Roy Pierson, her guardian and one of most influential men in England, is the father she has never met, she begrudgingly accepts his protection. But Chance Macy's power is far-reaching as well.

Thrust into society as the Emerald Heiress, Julia is the toast of London, a celebrated curiosity. But in reality she's trapped between the clutches of two powerful men. Aided only by a gentleman whose intentions she prays she can trust, Julia must finally take control of her own fate - but outwitting one's foe rarely goes according to plan.













Hillary Manton Lodge

A Table by the Window
Family Secrets & Heirloom Recipes Series #1

by Hillary Manton Lodge





A Table by the Window, Family Secrets & Heirloom Recipes Series #1   -     By: Hillary Manton Lodge

The youngest heir to a French-Italian restaurant dynasty, food writer Juliette D'Alisa has spent her life negotiating her skill with words and her restaurant aspirations. When her brother Nico offers her a chance to open a restaurant together, she feels torn-does she really have what it takes? Should she risk leaving her journalism career?
After the death of her grandmother, Juliette discovers an antique photograph of a man who looks strikingly like her brother. As the truth behind the picture reveals romance and dark secrets, Juliette struggles to keep the mystery away from her nosy family until she can uncover the whole story. Inspired by her grandmother's evolving story, Juliette resolves to explore the world of online dating. To her surprise, she finds a kindred spirit in Neil McLaren, a handsome immunologist based in Memphis, Tennessee. With a long-distance relationship simmering, Juliette faces life-shifting decisions. How can she possibly choose between a promising culinary life and Neil, a man a world away in more ways than one? And is it possible her Grandmother's story can help show the way?





BOOK of 2014 by BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Lone Star Brides
by Tracie Peterson




book cover of 

A Sensible Arrangement
A Sensible Arrangement

Marty Dandridge Olson is a widow looking for a way out of Texas. Widower Jake Wythe has secured a job as a bank manager in Denver, only to discover that the bank board wants him to be a married man. With Texas in his roots, he advertises for a Lone Star bride, and Marty answers the call. They both agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.

Marty works to carve out a new life in high-society Denver as Jake works to guide the bank through a collapsing economy. But when money goes missing at the bank and accounting discrepancies point to Jake, he must find a way to prove his innocence. Yet all he wants to do is go back to Texas and own his own ranch. Marty, on the other hand, owns a ranch--one she's never told her husband about. She hates Texas because it represents the losses in her life. But as the couple grows closer and love begins to bloom, Marty realizes she needs to tell Jake the truth. Can she come to terms with the past and her anger toward God in order to make room for love?





book cover of 

A Moment in Time
A Moment in Time

Alice Chesterfield is a woman pursued. Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, she is never free from the fear and memories of the man who is responsible.

Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, a new man captures Alice's attention. Robert Barnett is unlike any man Alice has ever known: He doesn't seem to mind the scar she bears, nor does he worry about the obstacles that stand in their way--including Jessica Atherton, the woman he's supposed to marry.

But there are storm clouds gathering, and Alice's peaceful sanctuary is threatened when she learns the truth about her father's dishonest dealings and the mother she thought was dead. Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future...and for her heart.




book cover of 

A Matter of Heart

A Matter of Heart

Texas born and raised Jessica Atherton is a wealthy young woman whose heart was broken when the man she intended to marry wedded another. But her world is upended when two men come into her life and both manage to stir her heart. Harrison Gable is a rich young lawyer who intends to travel the world and live a life of opulence. His ambitions match Jessica's dreams, but her heart has begun to change.

Austin Todd, former Secret Service agent, enjoys working now as a Texas Ranger cattle inspector. But learning of forged gold certificates and missing printing plates, he's drawn back into the world of intrigue and agrees to help solve the case. Austin is well-thought-of and admired in the community. Jessica is drawn to his kind nature and the unspoken pain she sees in his eyes.






























    All Things Hidden
A novel by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse
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All Things Hidden


Gwyn Hillerman acts as a nurse at her father's medical practice in 1935 rural Alaska. Her family life has been rough ever since her mother, hating Alaska, took Gwyn's younger sister back to Chicago to live.

Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan finds his life suddenly turned upside down when his medical license is stripped away after he loses an affluent patient. In a snowball effect, he then loses his engagement to Gwyn's sister, Sophia. When the government decides to send a group of families to Alaska in hopes of making a better life, Dr. Hillerman sends a letter urging Jeremiah to join his practice. Thinking his secret would be safe in the isolated Alaska Territory, Jeremiah agrees.

Gwyn and Jeremiah soon recognize a growing attraction to each other. But when another suitor enters the scene and Jeremiah's secret is revealed, their hopes for a future are threatened.

















The Brickmaker's Bride
by Judith Miller
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The Brickmaker's Bride
Yearning for a fresh start, Ewan McKay travels with his aunt and uncle from northern Scotland to West Virginia, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial assistance from his uncle Hugh. Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, but it's Ewan who gets the business up and running again. Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner's daughter, and he feels a connection with her, but she's being courted by another man--a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Besides, Ewan has resolved he'll focus on making the brickmaking operation enough of a success that he can become a partner in the businessand be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Scotland.But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan's hard work may come to naught. As his plans begin to crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. She and her mother may have a way to save the brickworks, and in turn Ewan may have another shot at winning Laura's heart.



An Untamed Heart
by Lauraine Snelling
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An Untamed Heart
Eighteen-year-old Ingeborg Strand is certain she is destined to be an old maid. She's had several suitors but none she deemed worthy of spending her life with. That is, until she meets a university student from Oslo, and feelings stronger than friendship begin to develop between them. But tragedy strikes, and the future begins to look bleaker than ever.

Grief settles heavily over Ingeborg, and her mother suggests that she leave Norway and start afresh in America, as so many others have done before her. But how will she accomplish that with little money and no one to accompany her?

It isn't long before she meets Roald Bjorklund, a widower who has been planning to go to America for some time, lured by the promise of free land. He's a good man, a hard-working man--and he has a young son who desperately needs a mother. He's clearly interested in Ingeborg, but is he the answer to her prayers? And what about love? This isn't how she's always imagined it.

Ingeborg Strand has a heartrending decision to make...



To Everything a Season
by Tracie Peterson
book cover of 

To Everything a Season
Trygve Knutson has been promoted from well drilling to heading a construction crew for the fast growing town of Blessing, North Dakota. Though devoted to the land and his family, he sometimes dreams of other horizons. But is he willing to leave Blessing permanently?

Miriam Francini hopes to become an accredited nurse in a large city hospital. She is simply tolerating her assignment at the hospital in rural Blessing because it will give her the experience she needs to accomplish her goal. She can't wait to finish her training and head to New York to begin a nursing career.

Then Miriam meets Trygve Knutson and all her plans are suddenly in a jumble. She quickly realizes she doesn't want to live without him, yet she's a smart, independent woman--she's even a suffragette. She can't let anything get in the way of her own plans, even if she's in love. Or can she?







Where Courage Calls
by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan
book cover of 

Where Courage Calls
Beth Thatcher just graduated and her goal is to become the best teacher she can; but she didn't expect that her first assignment would land her in the tiny mining town of Coal valley, in the teaching position that no one else wants. Should she take this position, leaving behind all that she knows? Her inspiration, the diary of Aunt Elizabeth and her father's encouragement to pursue her dreams and ambitions finally allows her to press forward, take the risk of something completely new and accept the position...at least for now.


A Beauty So Rare
by Tamera Alexander
book cover of 

A Beauty So Rare
Pink was not what Eleanor Braddock ordered, but maybe it would soften the tempered steel of a woman who came through a war--and still had one to fight. 
Eleanor Braddock, a spinster at 30, has long since dismissed any hope of marriage. But when a dying soldier whispers his final words, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. But this compassionate deed takes a harsh turn, and Eleanor finds herself dependent upon the richest woman in America and the most despised woman in Nashville--her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, mistress of Belmont Mansion. A clandestine act of kindness leads Eleanor to an unlikely path for her life--building an orphanage, a place that will house widows and orphans from the Civil War. And while Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve.

Marcus von Quint, Archduke of the House of Habsburg and second in line to the Austrian throne, arrives in Nashville in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Collaborating with botanist Luther Burbank, Marcus seeks to combine his own passion for nature with his expertise in architecture. But his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the orphanage run contrary to the wishes of practical, frugal Eleanor, who sees his ideas as costly nonsense.

Yet as the construction project continues, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground--and a love neither of them expected. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor to marry, and even if he were, someone who knows Marcus's secrets is about to reveal them all.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Katie Ganshert

Wildflowers from Winter
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Wildflowers from Winter
A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park.  An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.

Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years.  When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany's vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn't seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she's not even sure exists?





Wishing On Willows
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Wishing On Willows
A three-year old son, a struggling cafĂ©, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree CafĂ© in small town Peaks, Iowa,  she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.
                                     
So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn't about to let go without a fight.

As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won't give up easily. His family's business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin's gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.

With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances. 


A Broken Kind of Beautiful

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A Broken Kind of Beautiful
Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she's learned a sacred truth - appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows - so when it starts to unravel, she'll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother's bridal wear line - an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

If only her tenuous future didn't rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her - a woman stained and broken by the world - yet wants her still?






Elizabeth Ludwig

Edge of Freedom



No Safe Harbor
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No Safe Harbor
Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh.

Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.




Dark Road Home
Dark Road Home, Edge of Freedom Series #2   -     By: Elizabeth Ludwig
Ana Kavanagh's only memories of home are of fire and pain. As a girl she was the only survivor of a terrible blaze, and years later she still struggles with her anger at God for letting it happen.

At a nearby parish she meets and finds a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who is struggling with his own anger--his sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with one of his enemies. Cast aside by everyone, Eoghan longs to rejoin the Fenians, a shadowy organization pushing for change back in Ireland. But gaining their trust requires doing some favors--all of which seem to lead back to Ana. Who is she and who is searching for her? As dark secrets from Ana's past begin to come to light, Eoghan must choose which road to follow--and where to finally place his trust.




Tide and Tempest
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Tide and Tempest
It's been two years since Tillie McGrath last saw Captain Keondric Morgan. He'd let her visit her ill fiancé before he died. Now the dashing captain has found her at the boarding house where she lives and has swept back into her life. But all is not well. He seems to be trying to protect her--from whom or what stays a secret.

Even years later, Keondric never forgot the heartbroken lass from his boat. When a crewmember's death-bed confession hints that her fiancé's death may have been murder, the captain knows he must try to save her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well, dangerous men who believe Tillie may have the last bit of evidence needed to put them away. And trying to stay safe may put them both in more danger than they could have ever imagined.









Leslie Gould

Courting Cate

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Courting Cate




When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty--and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

However, the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn't have any suitors--until Pete comes to town, that is.

Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate's feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she's immediately suspicious of his interest.





Adoring Addie
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Adoring Addie


When Addie Cramer's mutter and daed decide Phillip Eicher is the man for her to marry, they claim she must honor them by obeying their wishes. But then she falls in love with Jonathan Mosier--part of the family with whom the Cramers have a long-held grudge.

With the help of others in her community who long to see the quarrel healed, Jonathan and Addie struggle to continue their relationship against both sets of parents' wishes. But when one of Addie's vengeful brothers harms a member of the Mosier family, Jonathan intervenes and is banished from Lancaster County.

A distraught Addie determines to find the true reason for the grudge between the two families, hoping to tear down the animosity of the past. Can their love for each other bridge the divide between their families? Or are they destined to remain apart forever?





Minding Molly
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Minding Molly


Capable and optimistic Molly Zook has a slight issue with control: She doesn't like giving it up. So she's chafing against her mother's wish that, to save the family farm, she marry Mervin Mosier--especially after she meets Leon Fisher. He's from Montana but is working in Molly's district, training horses at a nearby ranch. He is tall and muscular, with a confident demeanor. Molly has never met anyone like him, and he seems to feel the same about her.

Determined to let nothing get between them, Molly decides the best course of action is to get Mervin to fall back in love with her best friend, Hannah. Molly organizes a weekend camping trip hoping to bring them together, but things quickly go awry and it seems Leon and Hannah might be falling for each other instead. Will Molly keep struggling to control everyone and everything around her? Or will she learn to let God handle the twists and turns of her life?






Janice Thompson

Weddings by Design Series
by Janice Thompson

Picture Perfect


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Picture Perfect


 Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition.

With her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives readers more of the bridal business drama they want in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Readers are desperately waiting for more of Bella and this new series brings her back in a big way, while introducing new characters fans will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.


The Icing on the Cake

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The Icing on the Cake


Scarlet Lindsey's aunt Wilhelmina may be Texas's most popular cake baker extraordinaire, but she's also getting on in years. When Scarlet decides to take on the role of cake decorator at her cranky aunt's bidding, it's just the beginning of a series of misunderstandings and mishaps that will lead her to compete in a cake challenge on national television--and might even lead her to finding true love.

Fan favorite Janice Thompson is back with more wit, more weddings, and more of what her readers love best--bridal business drama. Bella and the gang are all here and readers will fall in love with the newest quirky characters straight from the creative mind of a fantastic storyteller.




The Dream Dress


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The Dream Dress


A seamstress at a swanky bridal boutique, Gabi Delgado dreams of doing more than ripping out seams and fitting dresses to doe-eyed brides. She wants to see her own dress designs gracing the young women of Texas. When Jordan Spencer, the editor of Texas Bride magazine visits the shop to do a feature, Gabi is devastated to lose her job in his very influential presence. Convinced she'll never get her dreams off the ground now, Gabi needs lots of encouragement--especially from her friend Bella Neeley--to take a chance and start her business. And as she gets to know Jordan, she discovers that she may have to take a chance on love as well. Could it be that she'll have to design her own wedding dress soon?

As always, Janice Thompson delivers fun, laughter, and romance as she takes readers back to Galveston, Texas, to spend more time with their favorite quirky characters along with fabulous new ones.








A Bouquet of Love
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A Bouquet of Love


Cassia Pappas has found herself in a nearly impossible situation. She wants to spend her time immersed in her new job at a Galveston Island floral shop, arranging blooms and brightening occasions with her lovely creations. But her huge Greek family--especially her father--has other ideas. They've all relocated to Galveston to open up a new family restaurant location on the Strand-- directly across the street from the Rossis' popular pizza place--and they want Cassia's full participation.

To make matters worse, as Cassia is trying to develop a strong professional relationship with Galveston's premier wedding coordinator, Bella Neeley, her own father is intent on stealing all of the Rossi family's faithful customers. Not exactly the best way to get into Bella's good graces!

Still, at least Alex, that hot delivery guy from the nursery, is always hanging around the flower shop . . .

Fan favorite Janice Thompson gives readers one more romp with Bella, Galveston, and the bustling wedding biz in the final installment of her popular series. Anyone who loves quirky families, loads of laughter, and tender romance will find themselves hooked.





Weddings by Bella Series

Fools Rush In

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Fools Rush in


Bella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban? When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) of her dreams, things start falling into place. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can the perfect Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy boots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding? Book one in the Weddings by Bella series, Fools Rush In is fun, fresh, and full of surprises. Readers will love the flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex, and the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.




Swinging on a Star


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Swinging on a Star


Bella Rossi's life is nearing perfection. She's got the perfect guy, she's running a successful business, and she's about to plan her most ambitious wedding yet, a Renaissance-themed fairy tale come true, complete with period costumes and foods, horse-drawn carriages, and even a castle. There's just one hitch. The best man just happens to be Brock Benson, Hollywood's hottest and most eligible bachelor. Oh, and did we mention he's staying at the Rossi house to avoid the paparazzi? With all the pressure surrounding this wedding, Bella's not sure she's going to make it through. Add her starstruck sister, her feuding aunt and uncle, and a trio of large, sequined church ladies with even bigger personalities, and you've got a recipe for disaster--and a lot of laughs. This hilarious romantic comedy is sure to delight both fans and new readers alike.




It Had to be You


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It Had to Be You


Bella couldn't be happier that her long-feuding Aunt Rosa and Uncle Lazarro have finally admitted their love for one another and are getting married. Their forties-style wedding is sure to be a night to remember. But when the Rossi house begins to fill up with family from Italy--and an old mobster from New Jersey--life starts to get complicated. Will Lazarro's friend from the past drive the happy couple apart once more? And will Bella ever have time to think of her own rapidly-approaching wedding amidst the chaos? Full of laugh-out-loud humor, plenty of Italian passion, and a bit of Texas gumption, It Had to Be You is the satisfying conclusion to an entertaining series.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Mona Hodgson

The Quilted Hearts

Three Novellas in One
by Mona Hodgson

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The Quilted Heart
Like a beautiful patchwork quilt, the three novellas in The Quilted Heart tell stories of lives stitched together with love and God's unending grace.
Once a week, Elsa Brantenberg hosts the Saint Charles Quilting Circle at her farmhouse on the outskirts of the riverside town of St. Charles, Missouri. The ladies who gather there have all experienced heartache related to the intense hardships of the Civil War, and together, they are facing their painful circumstances with friendship and prayer. Can the tattered pieces of their hearts be stitched together by God's grace?
 
Dandelions on the Wind
When Maren Jensen took a job on Elsa Brantenberg's St. Charles, Missouri farm, she never expected to call the place her home. As she grows to love Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, Maren is transformed from a lonely mail-order bride-without-a-groom to a beloved member of the Brantenberg household. But when Gabi's father, Rutherford "Wooly" Wainwright, returns to the farm unexpectedly, everything changes for Maren, and she feels compelled to find another job. Are her choices in obedience to God, or is she running from His plan?

Bending Toward the Sun
Dedicated to her education and to helping her father in his general store, Emilie Heinrich is convinced she doesn't have time for love. But when a childhood friend returns to St. Charles, Missouri, after serving in the Civil War, his smile and charm captures Emilie's eye and her heart. Will she be forced to choose between honoring her father and a future with a husband and family of her own?

Ripples Along the Shore
Change is brewing in St. Charles. A group of brave souls are preparing to head west on the Boone's Lick Wagon Train, led by the mysterious and handsome Garrett Cowlishaw, who served as a Confederate soldier in the war that killed Caroline's husband. Despite her dislike for him, Caroline is tempted to join the wagon train and start fresh somewhere new, but when Mr. Cowlishaw forbids her - a single woman - to travel with them, will one man's prejudice destroy Caroline's hope for a new future? Or will the ripples of God's love bring the answer she needs?



Separate books are available only as e-books

Dandelions on the Wind


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Dandelions on the Wind
Tattered relationships and broken hearts, like a quilt, can be pieced together by God's love.                                                                                     
When Maren Jensen took a job on Elsa Brantenberg's St. Charles, Missouri farm, she never expected to call the place her home. As she grows to love Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, Maren is transformed from a lonely mail-order bride-without-a-groom to a beloved member of the Brantenberg household.

But when Gabi's father, Rutherford "Wooly" Wainwright, returns to the farm unexpectedly, everything changes for Maren. Despite the failing eyesight that caused her suitor to reject her, she can see that Wooly desperately needs to reconnect with the family he abandoned when his grief sent him running toward the army - and into the Civil War. She also senses there could be something more between the widower and herself, if either can move beyond their past hurts. 

Comforted and counseled by the wisdom of the women in her beloved quilting circle, Maren begins to discover the cost such decisions demand of her heart. Are her choices in obedience to God, or is she running from His plan? Is it too late for love to be stitched into the fabric of her life?



Bending Toward the Sun




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Bending Toward the Sun
Can the Divine Quilter stitch together the torn pieces of Emilie's heart?
Divided between the love of her father and the desires of her heart, Emilie Heinrich must rely on the love and wisdom of the women in her quilting circle for support. Since Emilie is dedicated to her education and to helping her father in his general store, she is convinced she doesn't have time for love. But when a childhood friend returns to St. Charles, Missouri, after serving in the Civil War, his smile and charm captures Emilie's eye and her heart.

Quaid McFarland has a gentleness and humor that causes Emilie to question her indifference toward romance. But her German father sees only one thing when he looks at the young man: an Irish teamster. And Johann Heinrich is not about to let such a man court his beloved daughter.

Her father's prejudices test Emilie's faith in God's ability to mend the patchwork pieces of her life. Will she be forced to choose between honoring her father and a future with a husband and family of her own?



Ripples Along the Shore






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Ripples Along the Shore


Can a War Widow Escape Her Grief - and Find God's Promise - on a Wagon Train West?
When Caroline Milburn steps off the boat and back into her hometown of St. Charles, MO, part of her wishes she could step right back on board and sail away. St. Charles, though home to her beloved friends and quilting circle, hasn't felt like home since the death of her husband. And living with her sister, Jewell's family hasn't provided much balm for her grieving heart. Caroline knows something needs to change - but for now she's stuck sharing her sister's home, and enduring the anger and bitterness of her brother-in-law.

But change is brewing in St. Charles. A group of brave souls are preparing to head west on the Boones Lick Wagon Train, led by the mysterious and handsome Garrett Cowlishaw. Despite her dislike for Mr. Cowlishaw, who served as a Confederate soldier in the war that killed her husband, Caroline is tempted to join the wagon train and start fresh somewhere new.

When the lovely young widow makes her intentions to travel west known, Garrett Cowlishaw forbids her - a single woman - to travel with them. Will one man's prejudice destroy Caroline's hope for a new future? Or will the ripples of God's love bring the answer she needs?

Thursday, February 13, 2014

A Match Made in Texas Novella

A Match Made in Texas Novella
by Karen Witemeyer,
Mary Connealy,
Carol Cox and
Regina Jennings

Four novellas in one volume

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A Match Made in Texas

In Dry Gulch, Texas, 1893, a young woman with a tender heart that longs to help those in need takes it upon herself to meddle in the affairs of three acquaintances who are in dire straits. Wanting to stay anonymous, she relies on unusual methods to hire men and women of good character who she thinks can solve the problems facing her "targets." How was she to know that her meddling would turn into a cupid's arrow? And what will she do when her friends turn the tables on her with a matchmaking scheme of their own?