Review: A Road Unknown by Barbara Cameron

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Elizabeth is at a crossroad. Will rumschpringe lead her away? Or bring her home?

She's been given the chance to experience life outside of her community, away from the responsibility to care for her eight younger siblings, but Elizabeth Bontrager can't decide which road to take. Goshen has its charms and pressures, but Paradise, Pennsylvania, sounds . . . well, like paradise. And it's also home to her Englisch friend, Paula. Decision made. Elizabeth is Paradise bound.

But will the small town live up to its name? When Elizabeth meets Paula's friend, Bruce, she quickly learns he wants more than a friendship. And the same might be true of Saul Miller, her new boss at the country store that sells Amish products to the Englisch community. As the two compete for her attention, Elizabeth is surprised to realize she misses her family and becomes even more uncertain about where she belongs. She has a choice to make: return home or embrace this new life and possibly a new love?

My Review

I enjoyed going with Elizabeth on her journey. She basically jumped on a bus after some quick good-byes to family, and ventured into the unknown to start living her own life. She meets Saul in a sweet way, and they slowly build a friendship as a foundation for something more. Paula is one of my favorite characters- what a loyal and supportive friend through all of the transition Elizabeth goes through. The message that God watches over each of us was inspirational.

(Thank you to Abingdon Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)

Review: FOUR WEDDINGS AND A KISS – Win an iPad Mini & rip-roarin’ Facebook Party!

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis 

In 1885 five western preachers sit around a campfire talking about unlikely couples they've seen God bring together.

“Spitfire Sweetheart” by Mary Connealy
Maizy Place is an unruly tomboy. When she causes an accident, injuring neighbor Rylan Carstens, she becomes his unlikely caregiver. Rylan has never noticed how pretty his infuriating neighbor is, and he never expected to fall in love.

“Love Letter to the Editor” by Robin Lee Hatcher
Molly Everton is the outspoken daughter of the town newspaper's owner. When her father brings in an outsider to be editor, she tries to drive him out of town. But Jack Ludgrove is not intimidated. He’s resolved to change Molly's mind about him—as an editor and as a man.

“A Cowboy for Katie” by Debra Clopton
Katie Pearl is uninterested in men and love. But she needs help on her ranch and hires Treb Rayburn, a wandering cowboy looking to make a buck. Will Treb change Katie’s mind?

“Saving Grace” by Margaret Brownley
Grace Davenport is either the unluckiest woman alive—or a killer. When her third husband is found dead, Grace is arrested. Attorney Brock Daniels isn't interested in the case—until he meets Grace. Only a miracle will prove her innocence, but the joining of two lonely hearts may be their saving grace.

My Review

I love a well-written novella! All of these stories gave me a good sense of the characters and connected me to their emotions. The premise of unlikely couples let me know that things were going to get interesting... and they sure did!

Mary Connealy is an expert at infusing natural humor into her characters' relationships. I felt bad for Maizy, having to utterly change in order to please the men in her life, but admired her sincerity and determination to make things right. It took poor Rylan a few tries to get things right with her, but it was so entertaining :)

Robin Lee Hatcher's story was enjoyable, but predictable. Jack was incredibly easy-going about Molly's defensiveness and it was nice to watch them grow closer together.

Crazy Katie Pearl in Debra Clopton's story is fighting off the men wanting to marry her for her land by using them for target practice. She talks to herself, can't sleep, and won't go indoors. Treb understands her fears and grounds her in a way that helps her heal and learn to trust others. Several sweet moments to savor in this story.

My favorite part of Margaret Brownley's novella is the trial scene- talk about Old West justice! The whole time Grace and Bruce are trying to combat the "guilty until proven innocent" mindset of the community, but I have to admit my jaw dropped at the way it all goes down. Another nice touch was how Bruce became a mentor to her son in ways she doesn't expect.

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Four best-­selling romance novelists bring tales of feisty heroines, stubborn heroes, and unlikely love in the Wild West in Four Weddings and a Kiss. Don't miss the latest from the Western Brides Collection from Margaret Brownley, Robin Lee Hatcher, Mary Connealy, and Debra Clopton.

The authors are celebrating with a "Sweet on Love" iPad Mini Giveaway and rip-roarin' Facebook party.

 
  One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A Bride for All Seasons and Four Weddings and a Kiss 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 8th. Winner will be announced at the Four Weddings and a Kiss Facebook Author Chat Party. Connect with Western Brides Collection authors Margaret Brownley, Robin Lee Hatcher, Mary Connealy, and Debra Clopton for an evening of fun book chat, western-themed trivia, and prizes. The authors will also be answering audience questions and giving an exclusive look at the next book in the collection!

So grab your copy of Four Weddings and a Kiss and join the authors on the evening of July 8th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 8th!

Review: A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Frankie Chasing Bear is caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she also thinks he will need to learn the white man's ways to succeed. After the untimely death of her husband, Frankie joins the U.S. Government's Relocation Program and moves to Arizona. There she begins sewing a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn, and prayed into it. A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars, but neither the quilt nor her new life comes easily to Frankie. Nick Vandergriff, for instance, is the last man Frankie wants to trust. He's half-Lakota but Christian, and Frankie can see no good coming from that faith after her own parents were forced to convert at an Indian school. Can Nick convince Frankie that white men and Christians aren't all bad? And will Frankie learn that love is the most important ingredient for her son's quilt and life itself?

My Review

This book is set in the 1950's, when assimilation was still going on and racism was common. I found the perspective and struggles of Frankie Chasing Bear fascinating (especially since my husband and I are in the process of adopting our baby daughter who has Native American heritage and will be a registered tribe member). Frankie's generation was caught in the middle of transitioning between two worlds and cultures, wanting the best of both for her son. Since Nick is half-Lakota, he understands the feeling of not completely belonging or being accepted in either culture, but helps Frankie realize that what is most important is belonging to God and being accepted by Him.

(Thank you to Abingdon Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)

Review: Beloved by Robin Lee Hatcher

My rating: 2 stars / it was okay

Synopsis

Diana Brennan came west on the orphan train and was given a home with a loving couple who cherished and spoiled her. At 17, she fell hard for Tyson Applegate, the son of a wealthy mine owner. After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, Tyson took off for adventures around the world, including fighting with the Rough Riders in Cuba. Receiving no word of him for seven years, Diana's infatuation with her dashing husband died an ugly death, and she is ready to move past the old pain and marry again, just as soon as Tyson is declared legally dead.

But when her husband returns, supposedly a changed man, he wants to reunite with his wife and run for the senate. While Diana suspects the election is his real reason for wanting her by his side, she agrees to maintain his home and to campaign with him, but when it is over, win or lose, she wants her freedom. He agrees with one condition- she must give him a chance to change her mind about him.

My Review

The premise was interesting... the book, however, was not. I really enjoyed the first two in the series so it was a let-down to not connect with the characters in this final book. There are flashbacks to the past throughout the story, but the basic content of the flashbacks had already been explained in the present-day text, so I felt it was repetitive and slowed the story down in a major way. It also brought Tyson's selfishness and indiscretions into the limelight, as well as Diana's hurt and role as the victim. It was difficult to feel compassion for Tyson when such a great deal of the novel was spent rehashing his mistakes, and his redemption was explained rather than shown. I found the romance lacking as well- Tyson was afraid to pursue his wife so he wouldn't scare her off, and Diana spent the majority of the novel keeping him and her feelings at arm's length (not that I blame her). The overall theme of forgiveness is an important one, and it was most compelling in the relationship between father and son. The story could have delved so much deeper if not for the bulkiness of the unnecessary flashback scenes.

(Thank you to Zondervan Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Check out the first two books in Robin Lee Hatcher's Where the Heart Lives series

Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher
My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

In the high desert town of Frenchman's Bluff, Idaho, Felicia Kristoffersen has set out to create a future for herself that is better than her painful past. Alone in the world with only her faith to sustain her, she must prove herself as this tiny community's new school teacher. She cannot, must not, fail. But, there are those who never wanted her there to begin with.
Five years after the death of his wife, local merchant Colin Murphy cares about just one thing: raising his daughter, Charity. Colin wants to give her the educational advantages he never had. The new schoolmarm's inexperience doesn't sit well with him, and if this teacher up and marries like the last one did, Charity's heart will be broken once again.
A woman who hasn't known love. A man who lost the love he had. In the midst of the wide, sage-covered plains, each is about to discover that life's bitterest circumstances truly can work together for good.

Betrayal by Robin Lee Hatcher
My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

It's the turn of the twentieth century and drifter Hugh Brennan is a man well acquainted with betrayal. Hugh finds himself drawn to the attractive widow, Julia, yet when he looks into her eyes, he recognizes the same hurt that haunts him. Julia Grace has little reason to trust men, but she's going to have to trust someone if she's to keep her ranch from the clutches of her dead husband's half-brother. Is it possible God had a hand in bringing Hugh to her door? The latest historical romance from award-winning author Robin Lee Hatcher and the second book in the Where the Heart Lives series, Betrayal will take you to the high desert of western Wyoming, through the crags of the Rocky Mountains, and into the hearts of two seekers learning to trust God's love no matter the circumstances.