The Goodbye Bride

The Goodbye Bride, the latest from Denise Hunter, begins with a bang!  First, you meet Lucy Lovett in Portland, Maine as she is coming to on the bathroom floor of a local diner.  Next, you realize that because of her fall, Lucy's mind is so fuzzy that she does not know why she is wearing a wedding dress!  More importantly, Lucy does not even remember who it is she is supposed to be marrying!

Zac Callahan has been slowly recovering from his broken engagement with Lucy Lovett; when out of the blue, she is calling to ask him to come to her rescue!  When Zac realizes that Lucy has a severe case of amnesia and cannot remember the last seven months of her life, he brings her back to Summer Harbor with him hoping to jog her memory.  You walk with Lucy through the pages of this book as she slowly attempts to put the pieces of her life back together.  You watch as Zac patiently stays by Lucy's side while they are slowly able to repair their relationship.  When Lucy's memory finally begins to come together in a rush one evening, Lucy's response is to run as fast as she can away from Zac!

This is a great tale as you see God bring together the splintered pieces of Lucy's life on the final pages of this book!

I received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my unbiased review

Miriam

On the opening pages of Miriam, the latest book by Mesu Andrews, the author describes a scene that will give you a glimpse of what the life of a Hebrew might have been like in the days when they lived as slaves in Egypt!

Eighty-six-year-old Miriam, sister of Moses, is suddenly standing before the great Pharoah Ramesses.  The Pharoah had been insisting that Miriam come and interpret the dreams that have been plaguing him night after night.  The meaning of these dreams had been revealed to Miriam in her own dreams from El-Shaddai.  Now standing before this great Pharoah, Miriam shares these truths with him!

So begins this age-old story as Mesu Andrews tells this tale again in a fresh new way, all the way to its conclusion with God leading His chosen people to freedom between the walls of the water of the Red Sea!


I received this book from Waterbrook Press in exchange for my unbiased review.

An Arrangement of Sorts

An Arrangement of Sorts, written by Rebecca Connolly, tells the tale of Moira Dennison in her attempt to locate her long-lost fiance, Charles Allenford.  When Moira learns that Nathaniel Hammond is known for his knack in finding lost things and more importantly, lost people, she loses no time in tracking him down!

Soon Moira and Nathaniel are in a mad dash across England in search of Charles.  Moira thinks that Nathaniel is merely a day laborer; however, Nathaniel is keeping it a secret that he is actually the Earl of Everton!

There are many more secrets to discover as Moira and Nathaniel continue their search.  You will be surprised by all you learn by the end of this tale!

Rebecca Connelly is a new author to me.  Throughout the first half of the book, I found the reading rather laborious; however, by the second half, the words seemed to fly off the pages!  If you have the patience for the slow start, this book is definitely worth the read!

Change of Heart

On the opening pages of Change of Heart, written by Courtney Walsh, you meet Evelyn Brand as she is preparing for a society luncheon.  Evelyn is barely keeping it together in the midst of these catty women in her home when the doorbell begins ringing.  Two FBI agents are suddenly standing face-to-face with Evelyn at her front door!


Evelyn cannot believe it when she learns that her husband, the up-and-coming Colorado senator, Christopher Brand, is being arrested for embezzlement!  Evelyn does not know which way to turn; however, she is so thankful when Trevor Whitney shows up on the scene to whisk her away.  Trevor is a former friend of both Evelyn and Christopher, who has stayed away since they married.  Evelyn is not the only one who does not know which way to turn, Trevor has also spent years trying to hide the unresolved feelings he has for Evelyn!

When Evelyn learns that her husband has also been involved with other women, both before and throughout their marriage, she must stop and take a hard look at who she presently is and who she wants to become.  After Evelyn becomes shunned by the public at large, it seems her only true friends are Trevor and the philanthropic group, the Valentine Volunteers!  Between these two sources, Evelyn slowly seems to find herself again as she walks through the rubble her life has become!

Will Evelyn end up following her long-lost dream of becoming a great artist, or will she finally discover the love that Trevor has had for her all of these years?  It is interesting to see which road Evelyn will chose, or if God has even bigger plans to bring both to fruition!


 I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review

Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle, the latest novel by Ruth Logan Herne, opens up with Colt Stafford returning to his father's ranch after nine years away.  Colt has been away fighting the demons of Wall Street; however, now he is broken and returning home only to be greeted by a gun just steps inside his father's house!

Colt quickly realizes that much has changed since he left home. When Colt finally meets the gun-toting housekeeper and cook, Angelina Morales, he learns that his father, Sam Stafford, is currently in the hospital recovering from an accident.  Colt and his father have had an estranged relationship for years, ever since his mother died when Colt was only four years old!  Colt has no idea what to expect when his father finally returns to the ranch.  After several days in his father's house, Colt learns that Angelina is a former Seattle detective and he cannot understand what she is doing living and working in his father's home!

Will Colt ever discover what Angelina is doing away from her former life and how will he respond to the new man his father has become after Sam's life-changing experience with Jesus Christ?

This is a fun adventure to follow as Colt and Angelina learn what God has in store for them!


I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my unbiased review

Kissed by a Cowboy

It is fun to catch up with the three Monahan brothers in Kissed by a Cowboy.  This book is the final tale in Debra Clopton's  Four of Heart Ranch series.



On the opening pages, you meet Cassidy Starr as she is returning to the house she inherited from her aunt Roxie. As Cassidy arrives in the dead of night, her truck is literally running on fumes.  When her truck suddenly dies, Cassidy has no key to get into the house and no light to help her locate another entrance.  As Cassidy attempts to crawl in through the doggie door, her blue jeans become stuck on something sharp and suddenly, she is going nowhere!

The person who comes to Cassidy's rescue is none other than Jarrod Monahan.   Something had occurred between these two years ago that left Cassidy feeling rejected by Jarrod; therefore, he is the last man that Cassidy has any desire to ever set eyes on again!  After a recently failed marriage, Cassidy's life has not gone well and she is hoping this new home will change her life for the better.  However, when she realizes that the house that she has inherited is located next door to Jarrod's ranch, Cassidy finds it difficult to avoid crossing paths with him!

Will Cassidy be free to focus on her dream of building an organic farm on her new property, as well as setting up a B&B in her aunt's house or will she be pulled back into Jarrod's life as he attempts to save his family's ranch by discovering who is taking off with their cattle in the dark of night?  This is an interesting journey as you watch Jarrod and Cassidy try to decide whether they can become friends again or if it will turn into something more!


I received this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my unbiased review