Waiting for Morning

What an interesting journey with Molly Hatfield!

Molly answers a newspaper ad looking for an ‘heiress’.   The applicant must be a young woman willing to learn the ranching business.  She will inherit a ranch along with a promise to never marry!

Molly quickly leaves town with her handicap brother for Cactus Patch, Arizona.  She encounters some very interesting individuals along the way!

 

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

A Kingsbury Collection

Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors! 

She has a gift for putting words together in a way that always pulls at my heartstrings.  The trio of stories in A Kingsbury Collection was no different. 

First, you encounter Ellen in When Yesterday Lives.  Ellen has had a lot of successes and failures in life.  When her father dies, she returns to her childhood home to make peace with people and events from her past.  Ellen has no idea what God has in store for her.

Next, you meet Maggie in When Joy Came to Stay.  Maggie and her family are on an uncertain journey with depression and all that comes with it.  Faith in God will see them through.

Finally, you meet Faith in On Every Side.  Faith is a young woman who must make a stand for the truth of God in our uncertain world.

As always Karen Kingsbury introduces and tells interesting tales of the tough stuff we deal with in this world.

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

Silent Night - A Rock Harbor Christmas Novella

Silent Night – A Rock Harbor Christmas Novella written by Colleen Coble takes you on a journey to northern Michigan to share some holiday moments with Bree Matthews and her family.

Bree works year round with her search dog Samson, rescuing those in peril along the shores of Lake Superior near her home.  All seems quiet as the holidays approach until Bree’s sister-in-law, Lauri, arrives unannounced.  Bree discovers that Lauri has found information about a young college student who has been missing.

Bree and Lauri head out with Samson on a mission to find the missing student.  Samson leads them to a cabin in the middle of the cold, snowy woods.  Not only is the young girl discovered, Bree finds that Lauri has grown-up through the process. 

This novella concludes with Bree announcing a surprise to her family.  Enjoy the excitement as the news is shared with all - Bree and her husband are finally expecting an addition to the family!

 

 

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

 

Every Perfect Gift

The third book, Every Perfect Gift, brings the Hickory Ridge series to a dramatic close.

Sophie Caldwell returns to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, after years away.  The formerly sleepy town has been transformed in the years she has been gone.

Soon after her arrival in town, Sophie meets Ethan Heyward, the manager at the expensive new resort in town.

Sophie and Ethan are drawn to each other, but they both have secrets that are keeping them apart.

A intriguing tale is told as their mysteries are finally revealed.

 

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

A Wreath of Snow

A Wreath of Snow is a Christmas novella by Liz Curtis Higgs.

The year is 1894 as Meg runs through the snowy streets towards the train station.   Her brother Alan with his temper had made it too uncomfortable to remain at her parent’s home for the holiday.  The accident he endured as a boy has turned him into an angry person.

Meg has no idea what will occur as she steps into the train car.  One of her fellow passengers is the man who caused the terrible accident that has changed her family’s life.

Walk these steps with Meg to a revelation that will change her life!

 

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

Lovelier Than Daylight

 Susanna Hanby is excited as she travels to Westerville, Ohio to begin her college experience.

On the way, she stops to visit her sister, Rachel, and her 6 children.  As she stares with wide-opened eyes at the empty house, she fears something awful has happened.   Where was her family???

As she continues her search in Westerville, she meets Johann Giere.  They are as different as can be.  Johann is the son of a German-American who owns a successful brewery enterprise and Susanna has very strong views as a temperance crusader!

When Susanna soon discovers that her nieces and nephews have been left in city orphanages, she and Johann begin a crusade to bring the children home. 

 

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

A Scent of Rain

Daphne Sweeten’s life seemed to fall apart in a moment.   Her fiancé, Mark left her standing alone on the day they had planned to marry!

Daphne had left an ideal job at a perfumery in Paris, France to return to the states for a scent formulation job in Dayton, OH.  Now Daphne’s only choice is to go on to Dayton alone.  She arrives at her new job to meet her new boss, Jesse who seems to have hang-ups of his own.

Daphne and Jesse begin to work together to formulate a new scent to save their company.  God has new things planned for their lives that they never imagined!

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

The Trouble with Cowboys

Ever since the day her father left his family and never returned, Annie Wilkerson had not trusted cowboys!!!

After Annie’s grandfather dies, she has taken up a vow to help her younger sister grow up and get settled in life.  This is a much harder task to successfully complete than Annie realizes.

As Annie to trying to keep everything afloat, she crosses paths with Dylan Taylor, the town ladies’ man.  Her tightly-ruled life is getting ready to lose all control.

Hold on as you ride down this path with Annie!!!

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

Twice A Bride

 


 




I thought the Sinclair Sisters if Cripple Creek Series was complete .  But the story of Willow, Tucker Raines's sister, needed to be told.


When her father dies, Willow needs to find her place in the world.  When her mother leaves with her aunt, Willow remains in Miss Hattie's boarding house.  She doesn't have to look far for work because Ida, her sister-in-law, needs assistance after a miscarriage.  Selling iceboxes is not the work Willow is looking for.  She wants to paint!

Soon she meets the local photographer who is looking to hire an artist to assist in his work.  Life quickly starts moving along a pqth that brings joy to Willow's spirit.

Twice a Bride is a light and fun tale to end this series!

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

Be Still My Soul

Be Still My Soul is the first novel by Joanne Bischof.

Lonnie and Gideon could not have imagined the events that would follow an innocent walk home together after a community dance.  Lonnie’s father assumes the worst and these two are forced to marry.  Neither are excited about the marriage.

Take a journey with Lonnie and Gideon as these two learn about each other and the struggle that develops from being man and wife.

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

Coming Home

I had read through the first half of Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury.  I had already read all of her Baxter series.  So a lot of the detail was familiar.

I thought “Wow, I’m going to make it through this book without any tears”.  Boy, was I wrong! 

This book turned into more than just a review of previous books.  It will pull at your heart as you journey will John Baxter and his children through one of the hardest episodes of their lives.

Tidewater Inn

Tidewater Inn, Colleen Coble’s latest novel, will keep your attention from the first page!

Libby Holladay discovers that her father has just died.  He left her an inheritance which includes an old inn on Hope Island.  She had been told by her mother that he died when she was five years old.   As Libby's business partner, Nicole is filling her in on this news, Libby watches via video cam as her parnter is abducted.  Libby is helpless miles away!

As Libby scrambles to reach the island, the story becomes very complicated.  Between two half-siblings who can barely stand the sight of her and a handsome Coast Guard lieutenant whom she meets soon after her arrival, she must solve the mystery of what happened to Nicole.

This book will keep you turning page after page as Libby seeks to discover her whereabouts.



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

A Duke's Promise

A Duke’s Promise brings the conclusion of the Forgotten Castles Series.  After Alex and Gabriel marry it appears to all that they are going on their honeymoon; however, they are continuing on the quest to find Alex’s parents.

This quest takes them from England to France and finally into Italy.  The action in this story never seems to stop.  Enjoy this tale as Alex and Gabriel venture to locate Alex’s parents.

Through Rushing Water

Sophia Makinoff has been anticipating a proposal of marriage from Rexford Montgomery, a new member of Congress.  She is shocked when instead he proposes to her roommate!

Wanting to flee the scene, Sophia decides to sign up with a mission board and hopes for an assignment in China.  To her dismay, she is sent to the Ponca Indian Agency in the Dakota Territory.  Sophia has a rough introduction to the rough living arrangements among the Ponca after her life in the nation’s capital with modern living conveniences.

Sophia soon comes to love the Ponca people.  She also comes to love the Agency carpenter, Willoughby Dunn.  Will is the one friend who seems a perfect partner to learn about this new world she has entered. 

This is a tale about how God can enable you to set down old dreams and pick up what He has planned for your life!

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

Not This Time

 













Not This Time is a great summer read.  The 3^rd book in a series by Vicki Hinze this has a storyline full of mystery and suspense. 

Sara and Beth are friends who have built a multi-million dollar business together.   However, after attending a wedding where everyone is knocked unconscious only to awake to find Sara’s husband missing; they know the situation is bigger than they can handle on their own.

Hang on for a wild ride where no one knows who to trust!

Wish You Were Here

 



 






When Allison Denman kisses her fiance's brother 5 days before her wedding, you know that all may not go as planned.

Enjoy the ride as Allison learns about herself and what  God has planned for her and the men in her life!!!
 

The Bride Wore Blue

The train ride into Cripple Creek, Colorado is not what Vivian Sinclair and her aunt expected-a robbery and a close encounter with the thieves.

Vivian was coming to Colorado to meet up with her 3 sisters and to have a fresh start.  After a painful relationship in Maine, she was ready to start anew.  The first problem she encounters is that no one is hiring.  She looks all over town and finds there is nothing that she is qualified to do.  She is ready to give up, when suddenly she finds an opportunity to work as a hostess in a local brothel.  She has no idea what this “opportunity” will entail.

Take a journey with Vivian as she will come to find that only God can wash her from her painful past.

Hunter's Prize

The year is 1904 in Marcia Gruver’s latest novel Hunter’s Prize.  You will travel with Addie McRae from her home in Mississippi to Marshall, Texas to begin a job as governess to Cedric Whitfield. 

Cedric is a young boy who struggles with autism.  Having recently lost both parents in an accident, his Aunt Priscilla is looking for someone who can help guide him through his challenges in life.  Addie hopes she will fill this role in his life.

Soon after Addie arrives in Marshall, she meets Pearson Foster.  He is a treasure hunter visiting Marshall in search of a lost treasure onboard a sunken steamer.  Addie and Pearson are drawn to one another and the adventure begins.

Cedric himself is carrying a treasure around himself.  He has an obsession with collecting rocks and gemstones.  In the effort of collecting these rocks, an uncut diamond has been added to his collection of “treasures”.  A couple of thieves have followed him from South Africa in the hopes of stealing this treasure from him.

As Addie and Pearson’s relationship grows, will they be able to protect Cedric from the danger coming his way?

Mariah's Quest

 

The year is 1753.  Mariah and her sisters, Rose and Lily, have just arrived in Baltimore after a long journey from England.  They had sold themselves as indentured servants to keep their father from debtor’s prison.  Upon arriving in this new land, they are quickly sold and leave in totally different directions. 

Mariah ends up at a plantation in Virginia.  Colin Barclay brings her to his family home where she becomes a tutor to his three sisters.  Colin is drawn to Mariah’s beauty but his mother has other plans for him.  Mariah and Colin have another plan and become secretly engaged.    It will remain a secret from his family until he returns from battle.

Unfortunately, Colin returns home wounded.  The story becomes very interesting as he learns to function as a blind man.  Both Mariah and Colin learn to trust God in this new and uncertain situation.

A Veil of Pearls

  
This story took me to a different time and place. It is the South in 1812. How differently people thought and behaved than they do today.

Althea, a young girl, living in Barbados, had been taken as a slave after her parents were killed in a hurricane. She has been beaten and abused. When she finds a chance, she runs like the wind and finds herself in Charleston.

After she struggles to survive with no home or income, she changes her name to Adalia and becomes an assistant to a local doctor. No one can see that she is 25% black. She goes on living in an environment that views slavery as staus quo. She thinks she is safe as she falls in love with a local plantation owner's son, Morgan. But her past creeps in and her safe world becomes very dangerous.

Take a journey with Adalia and Morgan as they navigate these waters.

Covenant Child

I missed this novel by Terri Blackstock when it was first published in 2002. It was a fun read that tugged at my heart strings.

Kara and Lizzie were dearly loved by their father, Jack, after their mother passes away shorly after their birth. These red-headed twins gain a new stepmother, Amanda, when they are 3 years old.

Their picture-perfect world is destroyed when they are torn away from Amanda after Jack and his parents suddenly die in a plane crash. Amanda had promised Jack that she would care for the girls if anything ever happened to him. The courts made this impossible when the maternal grandparents arrive on the scene. The girls are heiresses to a billion-dollar fortune and their grandparents want to get their hands on it.

You will see and experience Amanda's unconditional love for these girls as you follow their journey on a path their father never wanted for them.






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

The Widow of Saunders Creek

Corrie has lost her husband Jarrod of 7 years in Iraq. After feeling smothered by her mother in her hometown of Dallas, she has returned to her husband's hometown in Missouri.



Little did she know what she would encounter in the house that had been left to Jarrod by his grandmother - a dark spiritual world that she is not prepared for. As Jarrod's cousin Eli helps Corrie restore the house, Corrie slowly discovers a new love and this dark spiritual world.



Walk with Corrie on the uncertain path to find her way to the One who is the true answer - Jesus.






eceived this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my unbiased review

When Love Comes My Way

When Love Comes My Way by Lori Copeland was a fun read!

 In 1873, Tess Wakefield is on her way from Boston to Wakefield Lumber in upper Michigan. As her grandfather's only heir, she has decided to sell the business to a rival lumberjack. During her travels, Tess is in a tragic accident. Only she and the driver survive. As a result of the accident, Tess has lost all her memories. She doesn't even know who she is!

The community in her grandfather's camp assume she is the new teacher due to arrive. Tess, who is not a teacher, must learn to teach a schoolroom full of unruly children.

This story remains interesting as Tess learns to survive in a wild lumber camp under a mistaken identity.

The Wedding Dress

I absolutely loved The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck!!! The book initially appeared to be a story within a story. Before I realized it, the author had told the stories of 4 different women over the past 100 years.

The stories of Charlotte (current day) and Emily (1912) grew to include the tales of Mary (1939) and Hillary (1968). These four women shared a common bond, the same beautiful wedding dress.

This was a fun tale about how each of these women's lives were affected and changed by both this beautiful dress and our awesome God!!!





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

Lady's Anne's Quest

The search for Anne's uncle began in The Lady's Maid. She continues her search in Lady Anne's Quest.

Anne has given up so much of her London ways in her quest to find her Uncle David. Her continued efforts result is an interesting conclusion. I have a strong feeling that there will be a third book in this series.

The Lady's Maid

The Lady's Maid provided an interesting journey with Anne and Elise from London, England to west coast of America in search of Anne's uncle.  In the year 1855, there were a lot of hardships and unknowns.

This is the first book by Susan Page Davis that I have read.  It keep me turning page after page towards the conclusion of Anne and Elise's quest.   I was a bit disappointed with the ending.  It seemed to leave too many unanswered questions for me.   I will look forward to the sequel.

Before the Scarlet Dawn

Before the Scarlet Dawn is the first book by Rita Gerlach that I have read. 

The story beguns in England in 1775 and moves across the ocean to the new world.  Hayward Morgan (English gentleman) and Eliza Bloome (vicar's daughter) had no idea what to expect.  This novel ends with many questions unanswered.  I can't wait for the next book in this series to find out what has happened to Howard and Eliza.

I really enjoyed learning about what our ancestors may have experienced.  We really have no idea how blessed our lives are because of the faith others lived out to endure very difficult times.

The Christmas Singing

The Christmas Singing tells the sweet story of Mattie and Gideon. 

They grew up together in the Amish community of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania.  Just when most would be considering marriage, they suddenly broke things off after Mattie finds Gideon in the arms of an English woman.

Mattie must begin again.  She moves to Ohio, opens a cake shop and has a new boyfriend.  Things seem to be going well when suddenly everything begins to fall apart.  She is injured when Mattie’s Cakes catches on fire.  With her shop destroyed, she goes home to Apple Ridge to recover with family.  Little does she know an old chapter of her life will be reopened when she encounters Gideon again.

There is much more to the story behind their breakup.  You will not discover the conclusion of Mattie and Gideon’s story until to come to the final pages of this novella.  It is an enjoyable journey.

Dawn Comes Early

In 1895, dime-novelist Kate Tenney flees from Boston after a novel she wrote is banned. She ends up in Arizona in response to an ad looking for a woman who is available to learn about the ranching business. If she is successful and signs a promise to never marry, she will become the "heiress" of the Last Chance ranch. Eleanor Walker, the current ranch owner, is a 65 year-old woman who has no one to leave her ranch to.

Kate is ill-suited and ill-prepared for the ranch lifestyle. It is hard to imagine what Kate will have to experience as she prepares for her future and what she will be prepared to lose.

As you travel this path with Kate, you will learn all she has experienced in her life, what she has lost and what she hopes to gain.

This is a fast-paced novel that leaves you anticipating the rest of the series.

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

The Merchant's Daughter

It was fun to visit the year 1352 in the Merchant's Daughter.

Annabel does not know where to turn.  Her father had died 3 years previous and she is left with a mother and 2 brothers who do not want to work for their fair share.  The  family is required
to give one member as an indentured servant to pay off their debt.  No one wants to fulfill this requirement.  Annabel decides to go herself to pay off the family debt.  Her new master has a beastly
appearance and reputation.  Annabel's main desire is to read the word of God.  You will never believe how this is fulfilled.

This is a very enjoyable journey!!!!!!!

I received this book  from Zondervan in exchange for my unbiased review

Belonging

I have enjoyed every Robin Lee Hatcher book I have read.  Belonging did not disappoint. I enjoyed reading as Felicia took her next big step in life, moving to a new town for a new
job, filled with new people.  It was great to see how she looked to her heavenly Father when nothing else in her world seemed secure.

I am hoping that Robin Lee Hatcher will follow up with stories about what happened to Felicia's brother and sister. 

I received this book  from Zondervan in exchange for my unbiased review

The Accidental Bride

Shay Brandeberger doesn't know how she is going to keep her family ranch.  She never would have guessed it could come through her former boyfriend.

She had given her heart to Travis McCoy when she was 18 years old.  She doesn't want to make the same mistake again.  This is a fun story as only Denise Hunter can weave it. 

What happens when Shay and Travis are accidently married will keep the reader entralled page after page.

 Enjoy this fun tale!!!!!!! 

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

Beauty For Ashes

                                                                                                                                                    

Beauty For Ashes tells the story of Carrie Daly and Griff Rutledge.
                                                                                                                                               

Carrie is a Civil War widow who must find her own way in the world after her brother Henry gets married. When she finds she cannot remain at home with her brother’s new family, she must create a new life for herself in Hickory Ridge. Griff also has demons from his past that he must deal with. As both Carrie and Griff seek to find their place in the world, they are drawn closer to God as well as each other.
                                                                                                                                         

Beauty For Ashes is the first novel of Dorothy Love that I have read. It was an enjoyable and easy read. I will look for more of her books in the future!

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

Heart of Gold

In The Heart of Gold, Shannon Adair and her father, Reverend Adair leave Virginia and head out west to her father’s new church in the Idaho territory.  Shannon has doubts about leaving the society of her friends in the east and entering a place where she doesn’t know a soul. 

Soon after her arrival, Shannon meets Alice, a woman who is dying of cancer.  Alice and her young son have moved to Idaho to live with her brother, Matthew.  In agreeing to serve as nurse and companion to Alice, Shannon daily encounters her brother, Matthew.  He is a stagecoach driver with Wells Fargo.  He has taken a job in the office so that he can stay at home to help his dying sister.  Before he knows it, he is seeking Shannon’s attention in hopes that he can gain a wife to help him raise his nephew.   Along the way, both Shannon and Matthew encounter God’s plan for their lives.    

The year is 1864.  The civil war in the east continues to rage.  Little did the Adairs know how the war would touch their lives in their new “home”.

I have enjoyed reading a number of Robin Lee Hatcher’s novels; however, The Heart of Gold has a very slow pace and a disappointing ending.

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