Review: The Reformer by Jaima Fixsen

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Mary Buchanan has bigger worries than the radical journalist moving in next door who’s spoiling her father’s digestion: unrequited love for a footman, a fractious aunt, patiently awaiting her destiny…

Already she’s nearly eighteen. No sign of destiny yet, but Mary’s certain he’ll be handsome.

Then she meets the reformer, this Mr. Samuel Brown. Destiny is closer at hand than Mary has supposed—if she can just get Mr. Brown to realize it.

My Review

Another favorite from the Power of the Matchmaker series, and a new-to-me author discovered! I really enjoyed the writing style, the way the author protrayed the mundane and repressed life of Mary without it being boring, and her transformation into somewhat of a rebel. Mary's one passion she is allowed to have is drawing, and the descriptions of the caricatures she draws of those around her reveal a wry and cynical part of her personality, which make some of her later choices understandable. She develops a romantic obsession with Samuel, a man she hardly knows but finds herself attracted to, which brings with it an association with Samuel's good friend and protector, Niall. He isn't pleasant to her in an effort to scare her off his friend, but it backfires by helping her find her spine and he becomes an outlet for her before-hidden sassiness. I loved their interactions!!! Poor Niall finds himself shifting from defender of Samuel to self-appointed protector of Mary, and the twists in the plot were angst-inducing. I enjoyed the historical setting and learning more about the reform movement in England, which also provided some action when the riots start. The matchmaker's role in the story as Mary's neighbor Mrs. Chin is an integral one which I liked since it didn't make her seem random. Her love for gardening, long talks with Niall, and appreciation of Mary's drawing skills are endearing and I felt like she was more well-rounded in this story than in some of the others. I'm looking forward to reading the other books written by this author!

(I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher; all opinions in this review are my own)

Review: Rescue Me by Susan May Warren

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him--not just on the job as liaison between the Mercy Falls sheriff's department and PEAK Rescue, but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one--perhaps the only one--who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding heart sister, Willow.

Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on--namely, nabbing the job as youth pastor for her small-town church. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.

Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.

My Review

I can hardly believe it, but I just might have loved this second book in the Montana Rescue series even more than the first!!! (And that's saying a lot...) The action is way ramped up throughout the entire book, and I was literally biting my fingernails at times. (It was like watching a movie in my head!) I love the author's method of including two romances in the story- the main one between Sam and Willow, and also one between team members Jess and Pete, Sam's younger brother. The characters are strong, yet flawed, and all their journeys- physical and emotional- are compelling and human. I think that's why I connected with this story- each character has some major hang-ups, but it made them easier to relate to as they struggled and tried their best to do what they felt was right. The romances were both very "will they/won't they" and kept me turning pages and invested in the outcome. I'm loving this series and just can't wait for the third book!!! Highly recommend!

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

Cover Reveal! My Dearest Love by Sarah M. Eden

From the USA Today Bestselling author of the Longing for Home series, a new romance set in the beloved world of Hope Springs: MY DEAREST LOVE, coming July 2017!

Add it to your Goodreads list!

Synopsis

Alone in the world and far from home, Biddy holds out little hope of lasting happiness. Ian, loving her silently from afar, dreams of one day capturing her heart.
 

From the author's Facebook post:

Return with the O'Connor family back to their early years in New York, working in a textile factory, struggling from day to day, and hoping for something better to come, back when Ian O'Connor first met his beloved Biddy. We had a tiny glimpse into their tender courtship in the Longing for Home series, and it comes to life in this brand new story.

As an added bonus, you get to see Tavish O'Connor as a mischievous teenager and dear Finbarr as a sweet little boy. It was incredibly fun to revisit these characters, and I think you'll enjoy it as well.

Didn't read the Longing for Home series?? Never fear!! This story stands entirely on its own two feet and you'll love it!

Best of 2016 Giveaway Hop!

Happy New Year! I read some amazing books last year (see my Favorites of 2016 posts: historical, contemporary, novellas and series) and one of the ones that stood out to me is A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay. (Read my review here) I have an extra copy from the publisher to give away, just enter below in the Giveaway Tools widget!

Synopsis

Art restorer Emily Price has never encountered anything she can’t fix—until she meets Ben, an Italian chef, who seems just right. But when Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she learns that his family is another matter . . .

Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.

But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.

Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.

Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?

Entry-Form

Favorites of 2016: Series

Here is the final post of my Favorites of 2016! Of the 197 books I read, 74 were ones I rated 5 stars, and it sure was tough to whittle that down to the best of the best! Check out my other Favorites of 2016 posts if you missed them: historical, contemporary, novellas.

These are the books where there were two or more in a series that I couldn't bear to not share... Use the links below to add them to your Amazon wishlist or Goodreads list!

The Love in Lenox series by Nicole Deese

A Cliché Christmas

Amazon - Goodreads
A Season to Love
Amazon - Goodreads

 The Bishop's Family series by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Imposter

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review
The Quieting
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 The Amish Heirloom series by Amy Clipston

The Forgotten Recipe

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review
The Courtship Basket
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

The Women of Merryton series by Jennifer Peel

Jessie Belle

Amazon - Goodreads

Taylor Lynne

Amazon - Goodreads

The Pianos and Promises series by Jennifer Peel

Christopher & Jaime

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review 

Beck & Call

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review 

The Power of the Matchmaker series by various authors

Broken Things to Mend by Karey White
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

Between Heaven and Earth by Michele Paige Holmes
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review
To Move the World by Regina Sirois
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review
King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

Happy reading in 2017!!!

Review: Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Search and rescue pilot Kacey Fairing is home on leave in Mercy Falls, Montana, twelve years after she joined the military to escape the mistakes of her past. With a job waiting for her as the new lead pilot of Peak Rescue in Glacier National Park, Kacey hopes to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter she sees only between deployments. What she doesn't realize is that someone else is also back in town.
 
Ben King has been building his country music career since the day Kacey shut him out of her life. Now all of that's on hold when his injured father calls him home to help run Peak Rescue until he's fully recovered. It doesn't take long, though, to discover his father's ulterior motives as Kacey Fairing walks into the house and back into his heart.
 
With Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben are forced to work together to save lives. But when floodwaters turn personal, can they put aside the past to save their future?

My Review

I was so excited to start a new series from Susan May Warren! It has all the elements I've come to expect from her writing- dynamic characters, a sense of family and community, drama and angst, and curl-your-toes romance! Even though I'm not normally a fan of the surprise baby/child trope, I was completely immersed in the relationship between Kacey and Ben since it takes such a unique twist... more than once! I loved that the author revealed bits and pieces of their past throughout the story so we could see how the two fell in love and it allowed me to hope that they would reconcile. Intertwined in their story is the continuation of Sierra and Ian's ill-fated romance from the prequel novella (which I highly recommend reading first!). Add to that the action and suspense from the rescues of the team, and this is a book that's impossible to put down! 

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

Be sure to read the FREE prequel novella in the Montana Rescue series, If Ever I Would Leave You

Synopsis

If you harbored a devastating secret, had given your solemn promise of silence… what would make you to break it?

Ian Shaw can have anything he wants…

...except the woman he loves. After all, Sierra Rose is his amazing assistant, a woman who helps him hold his empire together, leaving him free to pursue his adventurous hobbies—his only distraction from his excruciating past… until now. But what if she is the one who can finally free him from his regrets?

Sierra Rose harbors a terrible secret…

...the fact that Ian’s favorite niece and ward, Esme, just might elope with her less-than-awesome boyfriend. Sierra’s made a promise to Esme—but her first loyalty belongs to her boss Ian, the man she's admired for years. But letting herself fall in love with him risks the best job she’s ever had.

When tragedy strikes, sparks ignite…

...because Esme has vanished. Ian fears the worst--has she run away with her boyfriend? Or, has something more sinister happened in the wilds of Glacier National Park? It's a race against time, with Sierra and Ian caught in the crossfire of secrets, regrets and what-ifs. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Life After by Katie Ganshert (with awesome pre-order extras!)

 I'm so excited for Life After by Katie Ganshert! Each month before the book releases there will be a different package of extras for those who pre-order!

Get details at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/katie-gansherts-life-after-pre-order-offer/

Synopsis

On the day of a late spring storm, in Chicago, Autumn Manning boarded an “L” train. A bomb explodes, killing everyone in the train car except for Autumn—the sole survivor. A year has passed and Autumn suffocates under a blanket of what ifs and the pressing desire to bring the victims back to life, every day, if only for her. She doesn’t want their stories to be forgotten. She wants to undo what cannot be undone. An unexpected ally joins her efforts, also seeking answers and trying to find a way to stumble ahead.
 
But one victim’s husband, Paul Elliott, prays to let the dead—and their secrets—rest in peace, undisturbed and unable to hurt his loved ones.
 
Caught between loss and hope, these restless souls must release the past to embrace a sovereign God.