Life, Love and Books

  Letters From My Sister                                  by Valerie Fraser Luesse This is the first book I have read by Valerie Fraser Luesse, the title drew me in and I was hooked from page one. This is one book I would recommend to anyone who loves to read an historical read.  As we open the book we meet the Bullock sisters Emmy and Callie who live a very rich and fulfilled life. One day their lives are turned upside down, when their family opens their home up to the granddaughter of one of their servants. Lily McGee was born with an exotic beauty and has a secret of her own she is trying to protect; her unborn baby.  Shortly after Lily has her little girl, terror visits the Bullock household and Callie suffers from short memory loss. The only image she can remember is an image of her sister Emmy standing on the riverbank holding Lilys baby girl in her arms. Having to take the steps to...

  Hopefully Ever After  by Beth Wiseman In the third book in the An Amish Bookstore series, we find Yvonne and Abraham opening their humble home up to Yvonne's sixteen year old cousin. Eden Hale is looking forward to starting anew and overcoming her past circumstances. Her hopes of being seen as who she is, comes true when she meets Samuel a young amish guy.  Samuel has grown up in  a very strict home and is looking forward to seeing what is out there in the "Englisch" world. So when he meets Eden, Samuel is excited to learn more about what's out there from her. But Samuel's parents are not very thrilled to have their son spending time with an outsider. As Samuel's and Eden's friendship grows, so does the disapproval of Samuels parent's.  Eden and Samuel start to share their dreams and struggles with each other, which brings to light Samuel's slipping away from his faith. Will Eden and Samuel be able to make the decisions  that will lead them down ...

Under Fire  By Lynn H Blackburn Under Fire is the third book in the Defend And Protect series and it does not disappoint at all.  We get to see Special Agent Zane Thacker  and Tessa Reed face down danger and romance, along with several glimpses of characters from the first two books in the series. I love that this book touches on the struggle with alcohol that our heroine Tessa dealt with and the healing that she walked thru. Also how the hero Zane  had to work thru some issues with his feelings for Tessa. Will Zane be able to stand by Tessa and still do the job of protecting the president from the threats of danger? I was provided a complimentary copy of this book the publisher and did not receive anything in return  for  my honest opinion of the book. The opinions expressed here are completely of my own are without any influence.

The Booksellers Promise By Beth Wiseman In the newest series by Beth Wiseman we meet three very unique characters; Yvonne Wilson, Jake Lantz and Eva Garber. Sent on a trip by a collector to obtain a very rare book, Yvonne travels to Indiana; where she meets the owner of the bookstore and his assistant. Jake Lantz has inherited the rare book from his grandfather, who he promised to never sell the book. But when Yvonne Wilson comes from Texas to asking about the book, Jake starts to wonder what is in this book that makes it  so valuable. Eva Garber has worked for Jake for years and has loved him from day one. But when the beautiful Englisher walks in the bookstore, it seems that she might have caught Jake's eyes.  Eva has to think of a different way to spend time with Jake. So she suggests that they read the book that has caused a big stir recently. To the trios surprise  the book leads them on a journey of discovery,  healing and love.  This book leads you on a j...

Never Leave Me By Jody Hedlund We return to the Waters of Times series and find Harrison Burlington caring for the dying Ellen Creighton. While Ellen has accepted that she is dying, she is still struggling with the deaths of her sister and father who have been taken by the quest for the healing waters. Harrison has kept hidden his true feelings for Ellen; so he desperately continues the search for the Holy Water to save his one true love. . But when he finds 2 more vials, Ellen is still not convinced that they actually contain the Holy Water. Harrison makes a decision to demonstrate his everlasting love by drinking one of the vials. When she witnesses the healing properties of the Holy Water, Ellen is unable to  deny the truth in front of her.  But there some dangerous criminals that will do anything to get their hands on a vial of Holy Water. Harrison and Ellen soon learn they will do anything, even sending Ellen back to the past to get more of the Holy Water for them.  ...

The Escape   by Lisa Harris   In the first installment of the US Marshall series, we are introduced to two very interesting characters. US Marshall Madison James is getting ready to start a new chapter in her life, when she is given an assignment with a former instructor Jonas Quinn. They have been assigned to transport two very high profile prisoners for their up coming trials. But the plane they are traveling on has engine trouble and  crashes into the wilderness of Salmon-Challis National Forest. To complicate things more their one prisoner escapes and on the run. Now Madison and Jonas have to put their skills and brains together to find their way back to civilization and recapturing their escaped prisoner. The plot thickens with the backstory of Madison's dead husband, whose murder has  not been solved. Her lingering grief from the loss of her beloved, affects her growing relationship with Jonas. While Jonas struggles with the complicatio...

A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham This is my first time ever reading a book written by Rachel Fordham, I truly love getting to read new to me authors. The first thing that draws me to this book is the cover which portrays an genre that I have loved since I was a little girl, the genre historical.  As you open to the first page you are drawn back to a time when things were very different than they are know. A time when things were more simple, but also women  only had some many choices of what they could do in their life. Our heroine Agnes Pratt has a deep secret that sent her running away from the life that she had dreamed of. It has led her to the small  town of Penance, where she has established herself as the beloved schoolteacher of the their kids. Life has settled into a rhythm for Agnes and she has built friendships in the six years in her new home. But when her life is upset by the arrival of her childhood friend, things turn upside d...

The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson When she goes looking for a place to find healing, Dillon Michaels thought she would be able to find it by returning to her childhood home. But when she arrives she finds her mother has taken over her childhood bedroom.  Resigned to sleeping on the couch, Dillon is not sure if this is the best thing to do, when she has to sleep on the couch for a time period. But when her dear aging grandfather gifts her with a very unique present of a rundown vintage camper, things start to look up for her. With the help of the handsome local hardware store owner, Jordan Atwood, they embark on a project that may lead to something more.  When she thinks things are starting to look up for her, in walks her ex-boyfriend with flowers and a ring. Will Dillon be able to find the healing she has been searching for  so long. This book is full of fun, love and a very quirky cast of characters that will have you wanting more. "I voluntarily re...

  Yes Sisters by Angelia White Friendships are amazing, the people we surround ourselves with can build us and at times they can pull us down. That one time that someone says something negative or we hear the word no, can send us deep into a dark place in our lives. Maybe someone has crushed a dream that you have had since you was a little girl. Or maybe it was a dream to start your own business and someone told you that you would not be good at that. For me it was teacher who said to me that I was not going to be able to pursue a dream in the medical field if I was not able to understand Math. But I had several women who was placed in my life in very strategic times that pushed me to pursue my dreams. Angelia helps us to see how building friendships with women who become our YES Sisters can help us to pursue our dreams. She shares personal stories that give us hope to keep moving forward. Also she shows we can overcome the negativity that has been thrown...

Two Steps Forward By Suzanne Woods Fisher In the third installment of the Deacons family, we return to Stoney Ridge to meet prodigal son Jimmy Fisher. His return stirs up an old family feud for his family, but Jimmy has no longing to be part of this. When Jimmy  is offered a job by his mothers rival, the pretty violet eyed Sylvie; he jumps at the chance to train her Arabian horse. Sylvie Schrock King has a dream to build Rising Star farm into a breeding farm for buggy horse for the Amish around her. When she finds out that the grown son of her next door neighbor is a expert at working with horses, it seems that she has hope on the horizon. As Jimmy's lazy smile and teasing ways work their way into Sylvie's heart, but is she being wooed so he can have the land that his mother has been claiming belongs to her family. Will Sylvie and Jimmy find the hope that come from above and the love that is growing between them? Suzanne Woods Fisher has done...

The Way Of The Brave By Susan May Warren This book was one I have been  looking forward to reading and it was so worth the wait. So I was very delighted to get the chance to review this book. Jenny Calhoun is a former CIA profiler and psychiatrist, whose way of easing her guilt from her time  overseas is to bury it. Now each year she and her two best friends embark on a extreme challenge, this year they are climbing the Denali in Alaska. What she never thought would happen was her past would be standing in front of her again. Orion Starr is a former pararescue jumper who wants to just not deal with the past that haunts him each day. Now he is being bugged to join up with his friend's Hamilton Jones's elite rescue team. So when he hears that three climbers are lost on Denali, he feels called to assist the rescue team on the rescue.  When the long awaited climb turns into the worst nightmare for Jenny and her friends. She has to put he...

An Amish Christmas Bakery by Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller and Kelly Irvin Sorry I am a little late on sharing this review, but I think we need a little Christmas Cheer at the beginning of this new year.  Cookies and Cheer by Amy Clipston Alyssa Byler has amazing ideas for the bakery store display window, for this Christmas season she comes up with the idea of a Sugar cookie Nativity scene. She reaches out to the local blacksmith's son, Kyle Smoker to make the much needed cookie cutters. When the display brings in more customers than the bakery can handle, Alyssa starts to put in more hours at work then she has time for. While Kyle is starting to feel overwhelmed by the amount of orders that are coming in for the cookie cutters. Will Kyle and Alyssa be able to put aside the craziness of the holiday rush to see what it is right in front of them? Will they be able to see the beauty of Christmas and the love it bring to us?...

       

               Cross My Heart By Robin Lee Hatcher In Cross My Heart, we meet Ashley, the owner of a horse rescue farm and Ben, who is starting up a equine therapy farm. When Ashley and Ben first  meet, they find they have several things in common. Having been both raised by single mom's and sharing a passion for helping those who are hurting. While Ashley and Ben work together to bring forth Ben's dream, they both feel drawn toward a deeper relationship. But there is a big issue that is standing in their road toward this. Being that they both have very broken pasts that have affected their choice's in life. Carrying these burden's  can also drive them apart instead of bringing healing to their lives if they do not face the truth. Will they choose to hand these burdens over to the one who can handle them or walk away from a beautiful thing in each of their lives? This is a beautifully written story about he...

More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer In the second book of the Patchwork Family series, by Karen Witemeyer; we follow Zacharias Hamilton to Honey Grove. It is here we meet the heroine Abigail  Kemp, who is fighting to save her family business from being closed by the town. Seeing no way out, she makes a decision  to marry the most eligible bachelor in Honey Grove. With a contract in hand she sets out to propose to Zacharias.  The bakery has been a favorite place for Zacharias to go get his favorite breakfast bun. It also was a treat for him to be served by the pretty baker that made them. But he has no plans toward settling  down anytime soon. When faced with the  dilemma, he makes the choice to accept Abigail's proposal to have a marriage of convenience. What they both did not count on was the attraction that starts to brew between them.  Something I love about this book is the heroine is a curvy girl, who feels no ...

Shelter of the Most High by Connilyn Cossette In the second installment of the Cities of Refuge series, we find the young Eitan as an adult living in Kedesh. The last eleven years he has been haunted by the tragedy from his childhood, while struggling with the boundaries placed on him by his mother's husband. When his life is suddenly changed when two young women are brought into the city of Refuge. Sofea has grown up with the freedom of the ocean around her, never realizing it might save her cousin's and her life. One day their village was attacked and they was kidnapped by the marauders that wiped out the village. When Sofea and her cousin escape they find themselves being rescued by a band of warriors from Kedesh. This city has provided a refuge for so many that have came thru its gates, now it has become a  safe haven for Sofea and her cousin. While Eitan considers the city of refuge his prison, all he has ever wanted is to train and become a warrior to pr...

  To Wager Her Heart By Tamera Alexander In her latest work, Tamera Alexander brings us back to the lovely Belle Meade Plantation. We meet a very strong hearted young woman, Alexander Jamison and a gentleman from the Colorado Territory Sylas Rutledge. Needing someone to help him make his way thru the tangles of the Nashville society, Sylas was willing to ask for help from a beautiful socialite. Dealing with the pressures of being forced to marry a man she does not love. Alexander makes a choice that her father disagrees with causing her to be disowned by her family. With no where to turn for help, she accepts the offer to tutor Sylas in the ways of society.    As Alexander pursues her passion of teaching others in the only place that will take a chance on a young woman teacher. She finds a place at Fisk University, the first freedman university in the United States. By using her connections in the Nashville Society, Alexander is able to help Sylas fi...

Freedom's Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli This book was one of the best books that I have ever read, it grabbed my attention from the first page. It is written in two very different time periods that at the same time connect thru the struggles that face each of the female characters. We meet Annie David in 2015 and Liberty Caldwell in 1770, both living in Boston in two different time periods.  Still dealing with the aftermath of the Boston Masscare, Anne is struggling to find healing in her life. The guilt that weighs her down, over the injuries that her niece has suffered with from the bombing. When she learns the identity of the person who rescued her during the bombing, her life is turned upside down. She starts searching for the history of the original owner of the ring that has been in her possession since her accident. When Liberty is rescued by a very unlikely rescuer, her life takes a different turn. Under the protection of a British Lieutenant, she finds herself...

Peace in the Valley  by Ruth Logan Herne Ruth Logan Herne has brought another heartwarming cowboy story to us. The Stafford Family is made of three brothers with all different lifes, that is connected by their rancher father and the town. Trey the youngest brother is the famous musical singer, Lucy is the distrustful neighbor that has suffered from the greed of his adopted father. Each of these characters are very well developed that they draw us each into their story. It is a story that touches the heart and makes us fall in love with Ruth Logan Herne's writings. The third novel in the Double S Ranch series, brings back home to the ranch the youngest of the Stafford sons. Knowing he owes his life to the legendary rancher Sam Stafford, Trey Walker Stafford returns to save Sam's life. Having left the ranch to pursue a musical career against the advice of his adopted father. Now Trey returns home with fame and success on his heels, still struggling to get over the tra...

Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette The sequel to the Out From  Egypt  is Wings of the Wind, just like the first two books we are introduced to some very amazing characters. Several characters from the first two books have a part in this book, along with meeting Tobiah and Alanah. The dedication and love of Tobiah is very touching to the heart. A man who would choose to take a stranger as a wife,  to provide protection for her from the dangers around them. Alanah is very strong and determined woman who has never seen what true love looks like in her life. Raised in a household full of men, with not knowing a touch of a woman since she was a little girl. Two very different characters that meet in a very dangerous situation and overcome many obstacles in their path to love.   I love reading biblical fiction, Connilyn Cossette takes a fresh look into the bible stories of our childhoods. As I was reading this book, I delighted in learning more abou...