Review: Wishing on Buttercups by Miralee Ferrell

My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

Can Love Survive When Secrets Collide? She’d kept her secrets safely hidden—those from her past, and those in the present. Some things, Beth Roberts knows, a lady simply doesn’t share, even in the 1880’s West. The townspeople would never understand. No one ever has. Jeffery Tucker, a handsome young writer, has kept his own secrets. He doesn’t have a right to pry into Beth’s affairs but finds himself strangely drawn to her and intrigued by the whiff of mystery surrounding her. Beth knows that one day someone will unravel the threads of her past. And when two men from her past arrive, the truth might just hurt . . . Beth’s future and her heart. As shadowy memories surface, Beth sketches the scenes she sees and is shocked by what—and who—her illustrations reveal. Dare she risk her heart again?

My Review

This is the sequel to Blowing on Dandelions. I'm glad I read them in order since the characters from this book are introduced in the first, but it could be read as a stand-alone as well. I enjoyed reading about characters living in a boardinghouse, since it put everyone in closer proximity. The drawing talent of Beth added an interesting element to her personality, as well as the mystery surrounding her childhood. I was surprised when there were two "villains" introduced, but each had a separate role to play. Jeffery and Beth's friendship suffered from lack of communication at times, but the ending was sweet.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Review: Made to Last by Melissa Tagg

My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

Miranda Woodruff, star of the homebuilding show "From the Ground Up," will do anything to keep the job she loves. Due to a painful broken engagement and a faith she's mostly forgotten, she's let her entire identity become wrapped up in the Miranda everyone sees onscreen. So when she receives news that the network might cancel her program, she must do the very thing she fears most: let the spotlight shine on her closely guarded personal life. The only problem? She's been living a lie--letting viewers believe she's married--and now she's called upon to play wife to a sweet, if a bit goofy, pretend husband to boost ratings.

Desperate to help his family and prove he's not a total failure, reporter Matthew Knox is looking for a breakout story. When he's offered the opportunity to do an online serial feature on Miranda Woodruff, he jumps at the chance, even if celebrity reporting isn't really his thing. But as soon as he meets Miranda, he knows she's keeping secrets.

When Miranda's former fiance suddenly appears on the scene again, she doubts her life could get more complicated. Juggling three guys, an on-the-rocks television show, and the potential exposure of her deception is way more than she bargained for. Can the woman who makes things look so good onscreen admit it's time to tell the truth about who she is? And if she does, will the life Miranda's built come crashing down just as she's finally found a love to last?

My Review 

The entire time I was reading this book I kept thinking, "How on earth is she going to get herself out of this?!" It's one doozy of a pickle. The dialogue throughout the book is great, as well as the developing relationship between Miranda and Matthew. The main thing that bothered me was how lightly she treated her moral decisions- living with her past boyfriend and lying about her pretend husband. She acknowledges that they are wrong, but doesn't let that stop her from doing what she wants to get what she wants. The story is well-written, and eventually Miranda faces her regrets and makes things right.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

$1.99 e-book sale for An Amish Kitchen

An Amish Kitchen e-book is on sale for $1.99! I enjoyed this compilation of three novellas- you can read my review here. Grab it on Amazon before the price changes!

Review: An Untamed Heart by Lauraine Snelling

My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

The Long-Awaited Prequel to the RED RIVER OF THE NORTH Series
Twenty-year-old Ingeborg Strand is certain she is destined to be an old maid. She's had several suitors but none she deemed worthy of spending her life with. That is, until she meets a university student from Oslo, and feelings stronger than friendship begin to develop between them. But tragedy strikes, and the future begins to look bleaker than ever.
Grief settles heavily over Ingeborg, and her mother suggests that she leave Norway and start afresh in America, as so many others have done before her. But how will she accomplish that with little money and no one to accompany her?
It isn't long before she meets Roald Bjorklund, a widower who has been planning to go to America for some time, lured by the promise of free land. He's a good man, a hard-working man--and he has a young son who desperately needs a mother. He's clearly interested in Ingeborg, but is he the answer to her prayers? And what about love? This isn't how she's always imagined it.
Ingeborg Strand has a heartrending decision to make...

My Review

I didn't read the synopsis before I read this book, so I had no hint or warning about the tragedy. I also didn't realize it was a prequel to an already published series, so when the story ended, I was happily surprised to discover that I don't have to wait to start the next book! I even had the first book in the series already on my kindle since it is a freebie on Amazon :) 
So, I love the character of Ingeborg. She is strong, industrious, compassionate, and thoughtful. There is much description of the farm, its chores, and tasks. It started out somewhat slowly since it is told from both Ingeborg and Nils' perspectives, but they don't meet until about halfway through the book. I enjoyed her interactions with her siblings and cousins. What an amazing thing that the children of the family take the flocks into the mountains and live there all summer with no adult supervision other than Ingeborg and her best friend/cousin who are in their very early twenties. There is some excitement in the story, but overall I'd say this is a descriptive and introspective novel to be read at leisure. 

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)