Review: The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep

Book Three in the Daughters of the Mayflower series

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

A War-Torn Countryside Is No Place for a Lady
 
Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause. . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.  

Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he is offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he is the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought. Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

My Review

This book held me captive as I read with its frontier wilderness setting and vivid characters. There is tension throughout the story with the dangers from the French and Indian tribes who are warring with the English. There is the sense that things are not as they seem, and the suspense is heightened as loyalties, motivations, and backgrounds are slowly revealed. The travel and action kept a swift pace, yet there was a good balance with showing the personalities and emotions of Mercy and Elias so I felt connected to them and invested in their story. They had a strong connection to each other and their chemistry only grew as they bonded through the trials they endure together. I loved the spiritual journey Mercy also takes as she grieves for her family and seeks to understand the faith of her mother. Fans of A Moonbow Night by Laura Frantz won't want to miss this one!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Check out the other books in the Daughters of the Mayflower series . . .

Book One

The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean

Read my 3 star review here

Book Two

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo - set 1725 New Orleans
 Read my 4 star review here

Book Four

The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia 
(coming August 2018)

Book Five

The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road 
(coming October 2018)

Book Six

The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore 
(coming December 2018)

Review: An Amish Family by Kathleen Fuller

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing 

Synopsis

In An Amish Family, beloved author of Amish romance, Kathleen Fuller, invites readers into the lives of four Amish families.

Building Trust
Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father’s animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?

A Heart Full of Love  (also in An Amish Cradle)
Ellie’s mother hasn’t stopped meddling in her personal life since Ellie lost her sight—and she’s taken it up a notch now that Ellie’s pregnant. When Ellie gives birth to twins, her mother insists on moving in to care for them. But when her mother’s behavior becomes unbearable, Ellie is forced to take a stand . . . and finally find out why Mamm can’t let go.

Surprised by Love
In a desperate move to evade her match-making mother, Emily Shwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. Seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?

A Gift for Anne Marie  (also in An Amish Second Christmas)
Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.

My Review

Building Trust

This is a story with themes of forgiveness and compassion. When Grace realizes that her father is holding a secret grudge, she expects quick forgiveness so she can marry Joel, but it takes compassion on both sides to heal the hurt from long ago. I liked Joel's contrition and patience with Grace's father as he seeks to prove himself worthy of Grace.

A Heart Full of Love

Ellie is a fascinating character, blind and pregnant with twins with a husband who has to work long hours. She has adjusted to her lost eyesight and enjoys her independence and marriage, so accepting help with her new babies is a struggle. Compounding the difficulty is her overprotective and controlling mother. As frustrating as Edna was, I appreciated that the author delved deeper into the mother/daughter relationship and we learned why Edna had her own struggles with trust and letting go. 

Surprised by Love

This was my favorite of the collection. Emily is clumsy, wears thick glasses, and is more interested in astronomy than dating. What I loved about her is that she accepts herself and is cheerful and friendly. Rueben is also a friendly guy, and the circumstances they find themselves in give him the chance to get to know Emily better and their friendship quickly deepens even though they both try to ignore the attraction that flares between them. A sweet and lovely romance!

A Gift for Anne Marie

I loved this sweet story of friends who become more when they realize they will be separated. There are other conflicts besides the impending move, including a friend of Anne Marie's who decides to pursue Nathaniel. The friendship they share is lovely, but when new feelings begin to develop confusion and hesitation enters in and disrupts the harmony they had enjoyed. I love when friends fall in love since they have a great foundation and know each other so well. It was funny to see just how well Nathaniel knew Anne Marie and her moods ;)

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Unforgettable Love Event: Author Janette Rallison, Sale, & Giveaway

 

   

My Fair Lacey & A Perfect Fit by Janette Rallison 

"My Fair Lacey" is the story of Lacey, who has dreamed of opening a restaurant for years - but first she needs a loan. When Garrett Halifax, her roommate's Harvard-educated brother, offers to help her clean up her appearance and manner to impress the bank manager, she jumps at the chance - but will she be able to keep up appearances without falling for the sexy Garrett? 

In "A Perfect Fit" Rallison Jojo Halifax believes that winning Echo Ridge's float competition is just what her fledgling art career needs. And if that means giving her ex-boyfriend, Anthony, a second chance so she can be a designer on his team, well, she's willing to make the sacrifice. But when a lost bet leads to a blind date with her brother's friend, Wyatt, she begins to have second thoughts about second chances. Wyatt is handsome and charming and just might have been paid to make her forget about Anthony. Is falling for his charm worth the risk or should she take Anthony back again?

AMAZON

Read for FREE with KINDLE UNLIMITED

   

   

  

Excerpt from My Fair Lacey

Lacey glanced over her shoulder at him. “I was only mentioning that Tatum was interested in you in case you didn’t realize it. I mean, those sorts of details seem to slip by you.”

“No, they don’t.” His fingers caressed the muscles at the bottom of her neck, making her sigh at the touch.

“Yes, they do,” she said. “Apparently there are a few things they didn’t teach you in college.”
His voice came nearer her ear. “I know Tatum is interested in me. I’m just not interested in her.”

Good. “Why not?”

“She’s not my type.”

“What, your type isn’t successful, beautiful, educated women?” She glanced at him in an attempt to read his expression. He was so close to her. This felt intimate, but it wasn’t really. This moment was like the time he took hold of her hand and she thought it meant something.

“She’s not all that interesting,” he said.

“Your type is interesting women?” Lacey couldn’t even begin to guess what sort of thing he considered interesting. Maybe women who traveled the world or fought crime. She faced forward again and his fingers worked their way across her skin in lazy circles.

“Interesting and unaffected,” he said.

Unaffected by what? It was obviously one of those words that had more than one meaning. “Hand me my phone so I can use the dictionary app.”

“No,” he said. “I’m busy helping you relax.” His finger kneaded the muscles at the base of her neck. It sent a chill of pleasure through her. “I’m going to keep this up until you’re no longer discouraged.”

“Okay,” she said. “You’re really good at massages, so I might be discouraged for a while.”

He laughed and his face came closer to her ear. “And that’s another thing. My type is women who make me laugh.”

   

Excerpt from A Perfect Fit

Wyatt didn’t move away. But he also didn’t lean down and kiss her. He was watching her, weighing her. Deciding. “I didn’t expect you to be this forward. Your brother told me you were the innocent sort.”

“I am the innocent sort.” Jojo had never thrown herself at a guy before, never been this bold. “I’m only being forward because I’m never going to see you again after this weekend. And suddenly being reserved seems like wasting an opportunity.”

“Oh,” he said. “I’m a revenge fling.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing.”

 

 

I always always love Rallison's stories and characters and this was no exception. I look forward to reading the book over and over again! --Kathy at Bookworm Nation

Janette always hits it out of the park with fun character voices, hilarious situations, and delightful romance. This is another great addition to her collection of books that I'd recommend anyone read and enjoy! --Five Star Review

Such a great read! It had many laugh out loud parts and I don’t use lol lightly. --A Reader

   

   

Author Janette Rallison 

USA Today, bestselling author, Janette Rallison/ CJ Hill writes books because writing is much more fun than cleaning bathrooms. Her avoidance of housework has led her to writing 28 novels that have sold over 1,000,000 print copies and have been on many reading and state lists. Her books are fantasy, sci-fi, and romantic comedy because hey, there is enough angst in real life, but there’s a drastic shortage of humor, romance and hot guys who fight dragons. She lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, kids, and enough cats to classify her as eccentric. 

 

     

   

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