The Sound of Rain

by 

Sarah Loudin Thomas

Unlikely Romance in the 1950s!

By looking  at the cover of the book, one would think it is about sadness.  The title, The Sound of Rain, might lead one to believe the book is as comforting as rain on a roof.  Both assumptions would be wrong.  This book is full of hope and action!  It is set in South Carolina and Kentucky in the 1950s.  It is a tale about a budding romance between an ex-coalminer and the wealthy daughter of the local timber company.  He is down to earth practical and she is a spoiled dreamer.  Through their relationship, Judd Markley begins to see the true heart that beats within this girl who dreams of helping the down trodden of Appalachia.  Together they grow to depend on and appreciate one another as each sacrifices a little of his/her own dreams in order to form a new direction that satisfies them both.  

The two of us

by 

Victoria Bylin

This romance, set in Las Vegas, is about two couples.  The story begins with the upcoming wedding of Lucy who is the younger sister of Mia, the main character.  Mia is not certain that Lucy should marry at eighteen especially since she has become pregnant.   To add to the stress is the groom’s ROTC obligation to the military which takes him away for days at a time. The groom’s  friend is Jake who is dealing with his own issues  in relation to his former law enforcement job.   As Mia and Jake work together on the wedding, they develop a close relationship.  However, Mia is a nurse practitioner and feels a calling to serve God in the medical field.  There is much conflict as both Jake and Mia question their roles in life and seek to find the answers for their future together.   This is a well written novel with fully developed characters and a twist at the end!

Where we belong

By Lynn Austin

The story revolves around two wealthy and well educated sisters from the city of Chicago in the late 1800s.  Their father finances their love of travel to exotic places such as Israel and Egypt.  The story begins in 1890 with them being stranded in the Sinai Desert and then quickly flashes back to 1860 for the back story.  Austin expertly writes in this back and forth manner throughout the novel as the story unwinds.  Included in the adventures are also the well developed characters of their young maid, Kate Rafferty and their butler, Soren Peterson among others.  Their unusual adventures offer many surprises and their underlying faith in it all makes for a solid and satisfying story.

A Name Unknown

by

Roseanna White

(Shadows over England - Book 1)

Rosemary Gresham is a well seasoned thief who is hired to find proof  that a certain English gentleman, Peter Holstein,  is a traitor to the crown and has secret loyalties to Germany. Germany is on the brink of World War I so these accusations are an attempt to prove  treason.  Peter, on the other hand, is anxious to disprove any connection to Germany and also hires Rosemary to find the documents to support his standing as a loyal English citizen. Peter is distracted by his real secret and that is he is a very successful writer of crime novels under an assumed name.  More importantly, he is a man of deep faith and care for others that surpasses even his own needs and safety at times.  Rosemary has never met anyone like Peter.  As she comes to know him better, she, herself,  changes as she deals with her own growing faith.  This is a book of action, humor, mystery and wonderfully drawn characters with a totally surprising ending.  It is an excellent first book in the new “Shadows over London” series.  Can’t wait for #2!

With You Always

by

Jody Hedlund
(Orphan Train Series; Book #1)

Thornton Quincy has been challenged by his ailing father to build a city in Illinois in 1857 in order to determine if he or his twin brother will inherit his father's building empire.  The brothers are given a mere six months to complete their separate cities.  As if that in not enough, each of the men also must find a suitable wife in the bargain.  Enter Elise Neumann. Elise is desperate to provide a living for herself along with her two younger sisters after the death of her parents.  Her hope is in the Children's Aid Society and the trains carrying skilled workers to the new town out west.  She meets and impresses Thornton Quincy so much that he selects her for his town.  He thinks he is saving her but it is Elise who saves him.  She impacts his life with a new way of looking at things and changes his perspective without knowing it.  The author tells a wonderful story of two people from totally different worlds who are able to change their present world and their future prospects for the good of all involved.  

True to you

by Becky Wade

(Book #1 Bradford Sisters Romance)

Author Becky Wade opens her book with an attention getting scene when the main character, Nora, is in a life threatening circumstance.  She is at the mercy of a crazed gunman and it isn’t all “fun and games”!  The reader quickly learns that this is all staged and Nora is one of the actors there at the behest of her sister, Britt.  This unusual beginning sets the stage for Nora’s meeting with the other main character, former Navy Seal John Lawson. After John rescues Nora, he learns she is a genealogist and the relationship begins ; that is, the working relationship. John needs a genealogist to help him find his birth mother so he can get his medical history.  He has been diagnosed with Malattia Leventinese, an inherited condition.  The more they work together, the closer John and Nora are drawn to each and the more each of them can see God working in their lives. Their relationship has ups and downs and more than one surprise. The author presents us with an excellent story including well rounded characters who experience “God’s ability to strengthen us to deal with all our circumstances” and come out victorious. 

A Noble Masquerade

by Kristiann Hunter

Triple Crown - Romance, Mystery, and Fun!

Excellent characters put into multi-dimensional situations make a delightful read from start to finish. Miranda is a strong aristocratic lady who does not fit the mold and she finds herself falling for her brother's valet, Marlow.  Marlow is a servant unlike any servant she has ever encountered. However, she is also captivated by the mysterious Duke of Marshington.  Miranda and the Duke play against each other in several well written scenes especially in the second half of the book.  So the fun begins.The historical setting in 1800's England is a perfect background to this perfect tale of mystery and romance.

New Orleans in the 1700s!!

The Mark of the King
by Jocelyn Green

Julianne Chevalier is a midwife in Paris in the 1700’s.  When she is falsely accused of murder in the death of one of her  clients, she must choose between jail or exile to the new French colony in the Louisiana. The historical background of the French settling their new colony with convicts is unusual subject matter. Author Jocelyn Green is up to the task and gives her readers a real taste of what it must have been like – a lot of mud and mosquitoes!  Besides choosing to avoid prison, Julianne is also intent on finding her brother, Benjamin, who is in Louisiana with the military and whom she has not heard from in two years. However, when she makes the choice, she does not know it includes a forced marriage to another convict so she must make the trip to the colony and establish a home with a stranger for a husband.  And this is only the beginning of the adventure!  This novel includes mystery as well as romance and themes of forgiveness, sacrifice, and the importance prayer.