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