Unique Cowgirl Tale!

Fire an Ice by Mary Connealy

It is nearly impossible to make it on your own if you are a woman so Bailey Wilde disguises herself as a man and succeeds at everything from fighting in the Civil War to ranching.  That is how Gage Coulter meets her as she is shooting at him to scare him away from her land.  When he eventually finds out the truth, he also finds himself strangely attracted to her.

After a severe winter all alone in the cabin she previously shared with her sisters, Bailey is intrigued by a highly profitable plan put forth by Coulter.  If she marries him in name only, she will get grazing rights on his property.  He, in turn, will get his mother to return to Texas and leave him alone once and for all!

Many unexpected events happen in the process of the story including mystery and comedy and, of course, romance.  This is a very enjoyable book that can be read as a stand alone as well as part of the series.

This book was sent to me by the publisher for my honest review.

Mail-Order-Bride With a Twist!
A Bride At Last
by
Melissa Jagears

This historical romance takes place in Missouri in 1885.  It is a mail-order bride story with a twist.  Both Silas Jonesy and Kate Dawson have tried that route and the results were disaster so they each have given up on finding love.  As Kate settles into her chosen career as school teacher, she suddenly becomes guardian of her student, Anthony Riverton, when his mother dies.  At the same time. Silas receives notice that Anthony is his son from his short-time marriage to Anthony’s mother.  When Silas tries to get custody of Anthony, he is confronted by another man who claims he is Anthony’s father.  It is up to Kate, with the help of the local judge, to sort this all out while maintaining her loving relationship with Anthony.  She feels neither man is deserving of Anthony.  This is a novel of tragedy and trust, failure and forgiveness that keeps the reader enthralled with the twists and turns of the plot to the very end. This is a good read!  The book was sent to me by the publisher for my honest evaluation.

How To ENJOY Reading YOUR BIBLE!

by Keith Ferrin

Keith Ferrin’s "10 techniques" approach to reading the Bible is very helpful.  Each one of the ten chapters in the book centers on a separate technique.  The author’s "Study Guide" tips at the end of each chapter can be applied to the individual or to the Bible study group.  His stress on the contents of each book of the Bible as applied to the Bible as a whole is very practical and beneficial. This book takes a difficult topic and breaks it down in an enjoyable way of Bible reading to appeal to everyone.  This book was sent to me by the publisher for my honest evalutation.

Hearts made whole by Jody Hedlund

Redeemed by love!

This historical romance is  set in 1865 in Michigan.  The death of her father forces 19 year old Caroline Taylor into the role of mother for her four siblings, twin brothers aged 10 and sisters aged 12, and 18 and to assume her father’s job as keeper of the lighthouse.  Since she is female, she is not allowed to keep the job and must find some other way to support her family.  The man employed to replace her is a wounded Civil War veteran with post tramatic stress which causes him to drink too much and take too many pill to dull the pain.  The two young people make a odd couple initially but they must unite to fight an unknown enemy who is terrorizing the lighthouse family.  Through prayer and reliance on God, they see their way clear not only of the physical enemy without but of the demons which  plague within as well.  This is a well written believable story.  This book was sent to me by the publisher for my honest review.

Esther: Royal Beauty  by Angela Hunt

Bible Story PLUS!

This retelling of the ancient Biblical story of Esther brings a new and refreshing look at the circumstances that brought the young Jewish girl into the world of the King of Persia. Each chapter of the book presents a look from either the perspective of Hadassah (Esther’s Persian name) or that of the king’s eunuch, Harbonah. Using this technique, Angela Hunt is able to craft a believable back story that keeps to the tradition and beliefs of the time while weaving a moving plot of characters that is able to hold the reader’s interest to the very end. This is an excellent read, expertly written by one of our finest Christian fiction authors. It is the first of the Dangerous Beauty series.  The future books in the series will take up the stories of Bathsheba and Delilah This book was provided by Bethany House Publishers for free in exchange for an honest review.

After a fashion by Jen Turano

Quirky Romance

The book opens with a bang as Harriet attempts to deliver hats to a wealthy young woman who promptly throws a hysterical fit and eventually gets Harriet fired.  In New York in the 1800s, it is not easy for a working class woman to find a job especially after getting fired.  So Harriet is forced to accept the job offer from the ex-fiance of the hysterical woman.  The man is Oliver Addleshaw and he hires Harriet to pose as his new fiance in order to impress an English Duke and secure future business deals.  Harriet is not comfortable with this as it goes against her Christian ethics but she has no choice.  The book is multi-faceted in both characters and plot with many dubious and contrived situations throughout.  It all seems to work together, however, with a surprising twist and a happy ending as the romance between Harriet and Oliver develops into its logical conclusion.  This book was provided by Bethany House Publishers for free in exchange for an honest review.