No Other will Do

Karen Witemyer has become one of the best authors out there in the terms of Historical Romance, and her books are a personal favorite of mine. After her last book “A Worthy Pursuit” I really thought Karen had reached her peak. Boy, was I wrong.

The only bad thing I have really seen said about Karen Witemyer’s books is that some things are a bit unbelievable, but I do not see how anyone could say that about this one.

The setting is what you’d expect of a Karen Witemyer book. A young woman has set up a colony just for women, no men allowed. Then someone begins threatening them. It’s harmless at first, but this terrorizer soon escalates his threats. Making things very dangerous for all the women.

Options are running thin so our heroine has to use the last card she has up her sleeve; call on the only man she has ever trusted to come help neutralize this threat to her women.

In character development Emma and Malachi, the two main characters, were very well done. As were all the supporting characters. Honestly this book kept me reading day and night just to keep up with the characters. And the side characters didn’t fall to the background like so many other book do, and I loved each and every one of them.

I can’t tell much more without running the risk of spoiling this book for future readers, but trust me if you are looking for a book you’ll enjoy more then what’s playing on your TV then you really, really, really need to pick up this books in your local bookstore or buy the E-book (If you’re into that)

I hope you folks enjoy the book

Until next time I hope y’all have a blessed day!

To Love a Stranger

Colleen Coble returns with one of her older works and again leaves me wanting more.

I have been looking forward to this new set of books for months, and “To Love a Stranger” was no disappointment! Though I am reading book 2 instead of book 1, but I don’t care, that’s how good this book is.

Bessie is a boston girl, and little too late she learns that her younger sister has not only been pretending to be her but she has also signed her name onto a proxy marriage. Bessie has no idea what this stranger is like, but to save her sister from prison and to salvage her integrity Bessie chooses to honor the vows.

Jasper is expecting a dark haired beauty who craves adventure, but what he meets at the stagecoach is nothing like what was in the letters he exchanged or the picture he received. Instead he is saddled with a plain and frail looking woman. After having the situation explained to him Jasper feels duped. Who can blame him? He doesn’t believe Bessie’s claims to having no idea about her sister’s deception. Making a very rocky start to the relationship.

Bessie is determined to prove herself to Jasper, that she can make a better wife then her sister Lenore. I really related to the character Bessie. When you have siblings there is always the shadow of doubt lingering over you “Do they like you better then me?” “Will I ever be loved for me, or will it always choose my sister?”

I have to say that this really is my favorite Colleen Coble book, and I don’t think any other will take it’s place. I relate to Bessie very well, and Jasper too honestly. And seeing old characters warmed my heart.

That’s all for now folks, I’m gonna go read this book again, so until next time I hope you have a blessed day!

Saving my Assasin

This is the true story of one woman’s journey to find the truth. Be warned you will need a box of tissues and a lot of “Amens” will be leaving your lips throughout this book, so be prepared!

Virgina Prodan had by no means an easy childhood. Her mother seemed to hate her, and her father wasn’t really around much, and in her childhood in Romania it was very common for children to work long hours. Not in factories or stores, but out in the common square trying to get the attention of tourists and offer them a room for the night.

With a family void of real love and in a country where lies and secrecy was the only means of survival for many people, but Vigina wanted more, she wanted the truth.

Reading about Virgina Prodan’s life in romania, how she became an attorney, how she was saved was amazing, but her life after she accepted Jesus as her savior was more than amazing; it was inspiring.

I’m usually not one to underline things in my books, but I couldn’t stop myself from doing it in this book. Vigina has me looking not only at my relationship with Christ, but my prayer life, and how we as christians don’t put enough importance on loving our enemies.

During the time I was reading this I was having some, okay a lot of trouble, with loving my enemies and just even praying blessing for them. It hurt to do for so long because they had hurt me so deeply. Reading Virgina’s testimony of loving her enemies, even as they were harming her and threating her family boldly, she still chose to show love openly to them and to pray for each and every one of them. And trust me Virgina made a lot of enemies in Romania because of her faith.

I can’t really put into full words the impact this book will make on you if you decide to read this book, I know God has seriously touched my life through the words of Vigina Prodan and I hope it will help so many others out there too.

Until next time folks I hope you have a blessed day.

A Treasure Concealed

Tracie Peterson has become one of the most popular Christian fiction authors out there, and for good reason.  Now we have another wonderful series to look forward to The Sapphire Brides.

I love Tracie Peterson books, and I have borrowed quite a few from the library, and while A Treasure Concealed has a great story plot and plenty of new elements in the story it felt like I had read it before.

Emily Carver longs to have a home of her own, but instead she endures a transient existence in the gold mining camps of Montana, where her father's hopes for riches lie endlessly buried. Promises of wealth from this wild land have brought only hardship and disappointment, causing Emily to wonder if her own modest dreams will ever see the light of day.

Caeden Thibault, a young geologist working for the government, is a man trying to escape the pain of his past, and the idyllic mountains of Montana serve his purposes well. In the course of his work, he has seen more than his share of starry-eyed gold seekers. So when Emily Carver catches his attention, he is intrigued by the fact that she isn't pinning her hopes on striking it rich.

One unexpected surprise was how fast the two actually took notice of each other. I am use to Tracie Peterson’s book taking a very long time or one of the main characters to notice the other’s feelings, or it becomes a friendship into something more. This one both easily struck up a friendship and connection, making romantic feelings not all that far fetched. Unlike most books where they just see how they look and “BOOM!” They’re in love. I enjoyed that Tracie did not take this route with her characters.

The book is filled with what we would expect from Tracie Peterson, mystery, romance, and a good storyline with lovable characters and devious villains. Though it is not my favorite book by her it is still a book worth investing your time in.

Well folks that’s all for today. Until next time, I hope you have a blessed day!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

the Beautiful Pretender

Melanie Dickerson has become my favorite author of fairy-tales and medieval fiction. The Beautiful Pretender is by no means an exception to this.

I was able to borrow “The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest” from the library before I got this book in, and I will say it helps keep some of the characters straight, but you don’t have to read the first one to enjoy this book.

How would you feel if you only had two weeks to find a wife, and you had a list of only ten girls you were allowed to choose from? The mangrave of Thornbeck faces this problem and his only option is to invite the women from the King’s list and decide which young lady will be his bride.

Avelina is a maid-servent from a neighboring area. When her mistress runs away the blame is laid at Avelina’s feet. To save her family from banishment Avelina must go in place of her mistress, making sure that the mangrave does not pick her at all costs.

The story takes some elements from the princess and the pea, which is one of my favorite fairy tales, and a story to mix into this series of fairytales. A good amount of historical detail is also put into this book, just like most of Melanie’s books, and to me it just makes her books all the more enjoyable.

Something that has made this book more dear to my heart is how marriage is viewed by Avelina, and what she wants from it. So many marriages, both back then and now, turned sour and left children with a horrible idea of what marriage is or what it will be like for them. Avelina explains that a woman wants to be loved for who she is. Not for her money, her family name, or for her looks, but for the person they are. I screaming “YES!!! AT LAST SOMEONE GETS IT!!!” all throughout this scene.

The Beautiful Pretender is by far the best book Melanie Dickerson has published yet. I am very much looking forward to her next book “Silent Songbird”.

So if you are looking for a good fairytale or wanting to know if this one is any good then I hope you have found the answers!

Well folks that’s all for today. Until next time folks, I hope you have a blessed day!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

Magnolia Duchess

I had been looking forward to reading The Magnolia Duchess by Beth White, the third book in the Gulf Coast Chronicles series, as I had enjoyed reading the second book in the series, The Creole Princess. (My first book in the Revell review program). It didn’t take me long to find myself lost in the world Beth white created with war, love, and loyalty as it’s main theme.

I really enjoyed the historical aspects woven throughout the plot of the story. I don’t remember too much of the history of 1814, but reading the Creole Princess and The Magnolia Dutchess has gotten me interested!  There is such detail about the settling of the coastal areas around the Gulf of Mexico. This story provided me with a better understanding of some of the details that helped to make the Gulf Coast a part of the United States of America.

It’s always fun to reconnect of the characters from previous titles in this series came back into the story throughout this book. I enjoyed seeing how their lives were playing out since the previous books.

I really struggled with one of the main characters in this book – Charlie Kincaid. As I read, I found his character to be hard to get a feeling for.. As a main character, his reactions to situations are  highly unpredictable – often not in sync with who he’d been portrayed to be earlier in the book. His interactions with other characters were also  seemed forced.

Some relationships were also rushed, making the story a bit difficult to keep up with

I loved reading The Magnolia Duchess, but it wasn’t up to par with its predecessors in the series.

If you’re looking for an informative yet enjoyable read on this time period I’d definitely recommend picking up a copy of each of the books in the Gulf Coast Chronicles series by Beth White. It is a good mix of solid facts and good storytelling

Well that’s all for now folks. Until next time I hope you have a blessed day!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

Counted with the Stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Counted with the Stars. Most Biblical fiction is very dark, like the authors are highlighting the horrors instead of the hope. That is not the case with Connilyn Cossette’s “Counted with the Stars”. If you are looking for a realistic historical fiction with the message of hope we seek in Christian fiction then you’ll find it in this book!

Counted with the Stars takes place in the timeline of Exodus, telling the story of young Egyptian woman sold into slavery after all her father’s ships are destroyed at sea. To save her mother and her disabled brother from the same fate she has to work for a mistress who is cruel and wishes for nothing more then to see Kiya fail.

I did not expect to feel such a close connection to Kiya. Her character is so real, that you want to do nothing but cheer her on, tell her it’s going to be okay.

Another problem that Kiya faced, and one I think we can all relate to, is finding where you belong. As a merchant’s daughter turned slave Kiya was ostracized not only from the high ranking society, even the commoners and slaves would have nothing to do with her. Being in such a state is hard for anyone and one I could relate to.

This book also always had the same constant message; God is the way.

Many of the fiction books that take place in biblical times seem to lose this somewhere along the way, and even if it’s brought back in the end it still feels like it was put there to keep it in the “Christian” section. Counted among the stars did not have this problem at all and kept tied in with events of Exodus and how they might be viewed by the Egyptians.

If you are looking for a book for your christian book group this is the one. If you’re looking for a great historical fiction book with realistic settings and characters this is the book for you. If you are looking for a book filled with the message of God’s love and how the Old Testament illustrates that then Counted with the Stars is the book you have been looking for!

I cannot give this book enough praise, and I hope you readers will pick up a copy.

Well that’s all for now folks. Until next time I hope you have a blessed day!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given

On Lone star Trail

A motorcycle ended Gillian's career as a renown concert pianist. The irony that another motorcycle accident brings her face to face with a man trying to outrun his own tragedy is not lost on her. As circumstances force them to interact with each other, small step by small step God finds a way to heal them both

The final book in the Texas crossroads trilogy has left a stamp on my heart as one of my favorite series. Lone star trail brings back characters we loved from the first two books and gives us two new characters to fall in love with. Greif was a theme in this book. Handling any type of grief is hard, from the loss of a loved one to the loss of your entire future. Both are difficult to understand. The fear of the unknown would love to swallow Gillian, while Benjamin wants to race into the unknown to outrun his past.

 I also love that this book show God can use any tragedy to not only further His kingdom, but to bring two people together and bring healing in both of their lives.

I really did have a hard time putting it down, though book two is still my favorite of the series, this one put the perfect ending to the series. I will miss these characters, though I can’t wait to see what this author will come up with next! it’s going to be hard to trump this amazing texen series, but it has been done before.

Until next time folks. I hope you have a blessed day!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

Her one and Only; The end of the Porter family series

I started out on this series unsure if I would really like what would come next. Much similar to a crescendo the Porter Family series gets better with each book that comes next!

I thought Becky Wade couldn’t do better when she wrote A Love like ours, boy was I wrong. Dru Porter is the youngest member of the family, and the only girl in a line of boys. Four older brothers and a tour in the marines makes one able to stand tall against what life throws at you, and the constant judgement of others. Dru now works as a bodyguard, and no one is better at her job. But past mistakes hover over her and make her co-workers weary of her, and being a woman makes most of her clients head tilt in confusion. Dru is determined to prove she is up to the task of being the bodyguard of the NFL star Gray Fowler.

Gray Fowler has to be one of my all time favorite characters now. He is relatable, and his past makes it easier for guys to relate to him as well. It also helped me be more understanding of a few guys I use to know and why their pasts made them have trouble with love.

The action in this book also set it apart from the previous books in this series, giving it an extra draw to an already interesting story. Then the teasing between these two, oh my goodness I could barely contain my laughter most days! And to see the rest of the Porter family, and to have them mixed in more than most book series that have a returning cast just..just made the ending to the series even better than I could have imagined! Finishing this book was like watching the series finale of your favorite TV show. It's wonderful, but then you know you're going to miss seeing new adventures for the characters you have come to love.

The final book in the Porter family series will have you at the edge of your seat, your heart melting, and your head singing praises as these two battle the odds. God’s love really does heal all wounds and this book shows it well.

I hope Becky Wade writes more book series after this. I think I would cry if she didn’t! But if you’re looking for a fun book series to read during the summer I would tell you to pick up this series right now. You won’t regret it!

Well that’s all for now folks. I hope you have a blessed day!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

A Summer time Journal

Many of you probably don’t know that the Blogging for books Program merged with another publishing company some time ago and now offer more than Christian fiction books. I saw this cute journal and could not resist getting it.

Made to look like a favorite dessert of mine this journal has an open spine to keep in theme, and a puffy hard cover to look like the cookie. I had expected a little better quality for the price, especially since this journal is about the size of a mass market paperback book. The glue on the spine seems like it may chip off in spots, and a few pieces of thread binding the spine came undone before I even got it.

I also don’t care that the middle of the pages, the part that has white on the outside, has no lines. Maybe this is for making little doodles or to put something else in it’s place, but I need lines to keep my writing straight and it just looks funny to have lines only on the top and bottom of the pages.

All in all it’s a very cute journal, but not one I would consider getting again or getting for a friend.

I hope this review helps.

This is all I have for today folks I hope you have a blessed day.

I received this journal in exchange for an honest review, which I have given