Book Review: To The Farthest Shores

From The Back:

The unpredictability of her upbringing prepared army nurse Jenny Bennett to face any challenge at the Presidio Army base, but the sudden reappearance in her life of the dashing naval officer who broke her heart six years ago is enough to rattle even her.

Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher is one of the few men in the world qualified to carry out a daring government mission overseas--an assignment that destroyed his reputation and broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved. Honor-bound never to reveal where he was during those years, he can't tell Jenny the truth, or it will endanger an ongoing mission and put thousands of lives at risk.

Ryan thinks he may have finally found a solution to his impossible situation, but he needs Jenny's help. While her loyalty to her country compels her to agree, she was too badly hurt to fall for Ryan again despite his determination to win her back. When an unknown threat from Ryan's past puts everything at risk--including his life--can they overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against them in time?

My Reflections:

Ah my heart, what a fantastic story! Engaging plot, packed with lovable characters that are so real to life you forget this is fiction. I can always count on Elizabeth Camden to wow me! She does not write mere fluff, her stories extol life's journeys with a God who is bigger than our sin and strife. Yes, I certainly recommend this one friends.

This is a love story about two people who had a deep and powerful love, then sin crept in, and left a path of destruction in its wake. God has a way of taking that destruction and turning it into beauty. 

Camden displays human messiness extraordinarily.

We all are scrambling to get it right, none of us has our ducks perfectly lined up, and I admire an author who has the courage to write authentically, yet respectfully. 

This book also has some fascinating historical detail woven in, along with tidbits of untucked threads, leading me to believe that there will be a sequel to this book.

If you are searching for a book that is not mere fluff and romantic wanderings, Camden's "To the Farthest Shores" may just be the one!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is the author of nine historical novels and has been honored with the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and the Carol Award. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on...

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Book Review: A Love So True

From the Back:

"Jagears' first book in the Teaville Moral Society series has well-written characters, in addition to being an engaging and heartfelt read."--RT Book Reviews on A Heart Most Certain
Evelyn Wisely loves working at the local orphanage, but her heart can't ignore the women of Teaville who are also in need. Her boss is willing to help build a shelter for them, but only if she gains the cooperation and financial support of other local businessmen.

While David Kingsman plans to stay in Teaville just long enough to get his father's business back on solid ground, he's intrigued by Evelyn's cause and finds himself more invested with each passing day.

Will their plans and partnership fall apart when confronted with all that is stacked against them, or can they trust in God's plan despite it all?

My Reflections:

Melissa Jagears once again transports us back to Teaville, having read "A Heart Most Certain" not too long ago I was happy to continue on in this series. 
This book delves into very important historical and moral issues, that still are relevant today. Jagears masterfully pulls her readers into the plight of the less fortunate and the ugly realities that come with prostitution and the ensnaring of souls. This book definitely held my attention from page one to page 356.

Evelyn Wisely is wise beyond her years, astonishingly independent and compassionate to a fault. Evelyn's heart yearns to help the women who are enslaved in the red light district, yet she holds people at an arm's length and can come across a little headstrong. 

David Kingsman has a job to do and he wants to get it done. Having been tasked with turning a profit on a local glass factory his father purchased, David has his work cut out for him. In the process, he meets Evelyn and is intrigued with her heart to help those less fortunate. 

Love So True is written with depth and sincerity, this book was a pleasure to read. I loved how Jagears pulled her readers in, her books help to open us up to the realities of life, in a gentle yet strikingly powerful way. This book will encourage you to look at others in a whole new light. How one person can make the difference for another. Simply beautiful, thank you, Melissa Jagears!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

Melissa Jagears

Carol Award-winning author Melissa Jagears is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian historical romance into the wee hours of the night. She's the author of the Unexpected Brides series and Love by the Letter, a free prequel ebook novella. You can...

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Book Review: True To You

From the Back:

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. However, when John, an adoptee, is diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his ancestry.

John enlists Nora's help to uncover the identity of his birth mother, and as they work side by side, this pair of opposites begins to suspect that they just might be a perfect match. But can their hope for a future survive their wounds from the past?

My Reflections:
Becky Wade pens a touching light-hearted romance, with so much more than meets the eye. It starts with the beautiful cover and just gets better from there. Get ready for a beautiful story of love and faith and self-worth.

I loved Nora's character, serious, bookwormish and traditional. She is the typical middle sister in her family, the one everyone passes over. Nora has never felt like she actually had the attributes her sisters had.  Now an adult she has created her own identity, comfortable and stable. Her idea of unwinding is watching old movies, drinking hot tea and loosing herself in a good book.

Hiding behind frumpy clothes and an outdated hairstyle has managed to band-aid the pain of her past breakup, but when a handsome Navy SEAL comes to her for help her predictable routine lifestyle gets turned upside down!

John Lawson, however, is taken, and he is certainly a man on a mission. Ex-Navy SEAL decorated with the Medal of Honor, John now runs a security training business. However, this man has layers, tough guy on the outside, hurting on the inside. When his life is toppled upside down with an inherited medical condition he must search for answers. I love the journey this character takes, it is a beautiful thing watching the development of faith with past and present issues.

If you want more to this story there is a free (as of publication of this post) novella prequel called "Then Came You" This book will give you the full story of the Bradford family, however, I was just fine reading this as a standalone.

If you are looking for a heartfelt, funny yet emotional read this book boasts all of these elements in one beautifully written book!
I would highly recommend you add this one to your summer reading list!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

Becky Wade

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and now lives in Dallas. A favorite among readers of Christian contemporary romance, Becky has won a Carol Award, an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and an INSPY...

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Book Review: The Chapel Car Bride

From the Back:

After a sheltered life in Pittsburgh, Hope Irvine is ready for a new adventure. When her father takes a position as a preacher in a railroad car converted into a traveling church, she's thrilled at the chance to accompany him. While accommodations in their new chapel car home are tight, Hope couldn't be happier putting her musical skills to good use and ministering to the people of West Virginia alongside her father. But when their chapel car arrives in Finch, West Virginia, they find a coal mining community that has hit hard times and is suspicious of outsiders.

Luke Hughes works for the coal mine when he can, but the struggling company doesn't always offer steady work. When Reverend Irvine and Hope arrive in town, Luke is intrigued by what the reverend can teach him--and by the lovely and kind Hope.

When Hope's desire to bring supplies and Sunday school classes to neighboring counties leads to her traveling with a flirtatious young mine manager, Luke is hard-pressed to suppress his jealousy. But when he begins to suspect the manager's motives are less than charitable, can he prove it without hurting Hope, or worse, putting her in danger?

My Reflections:

Judith Miller is one of my favorite authors, and usually, I am racing through her books to devour the entirety. Her newest novel "The Chapel Car Bride" was however not one of those stories.

The character Hope and the plight of their little family intrigued me, but I found my interest lagging and the story line just a little lackluster.

The story opens in the spring of 1913. Hope Irvine and her father the Reverend Layton a chapel car missionary are on their way to Finch, West Virginia. The journey holds unexpected turns and Hope is relieved to finally make it to Finch, where she can finally settle in.

Hope is first acquainted with Luke Hughes on the trip to Finch where he rescues her from a group of rough and tumble men. When she arrives in Finch she is surprised to make his acquaintance once again. A sweet relationship blossoms between the two. However, trouble seems to be brewing under the surface of this little sleepy town, and it's going to take more than a preacher's daughter solve the town's predicament.

I enjoyed learning about the chapel car ministry. I was not aware this was even a historical event and enjoyed looking into it in more detail after finishing the book.

This is a clean fictional historical/ romance, and though I was not swept away by the story don't let my review sway your decision. I do look forward to reading more by Judith Miller in the future.

                                       About the Author

Judith Miller

Judith Miller is an award-winning writer whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her bestselling novels. Judy and her family make their home in Kansas. Learn more at www.judithmccoymiller.com.

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Book Review: Threads of Suspicion

From the Back:

Will her latest cold case unravel before justice is served?
Evie Blackwell's reputation as a top investigator for the Illinois State Police has landed her an appointment to the governor's Missing Persons Task Force. With so much public fanfare surrounding the launch of this elite investigative team, the political stakes are high, and the team will have to produce results--and quickly.

Evie and her new partner, David Marshal, are assigned to a pair of unrelated cases in suburban Chicago, and while both involve persons now missing for several years, the cases couldn't be more different. As Evie opens old wounds in a close-knit neighborhood over the disappearance of a college student, David searches for a private investigator whose last case involved a high-powered client.

With a deep conviction that "justice for all" truly matters, Evie and David are unrelenting in their search for the truth. But the questions that lie just beneath the surface in Evie's personal life are also begging for answers.

My Reflections:

If you love Dee Henderson, you will not be disappointed with her new release ``Threads of Suspicion.``

This is book two in the Evie Blackwell Cold Case stories. This series, in my opinion, has the most detailed plot and story elements. If you are looking for a fast paced easy read, this is not your book. However, if you like many characters, lots of information on what detectives do on a day to day basis this may be just the book for you!

Since this is a novel about cold cases, there is not the same feel as the at the edge of your seat thriller type book, it is more of a gently unfurling of details and drama that may or may not be entirely explained. This story also contains quite a lot of dialogue, character introspection as characters sift through their suspicions and theories. I found this aspect along with the many in depth details to take away from my reading experience. I quite prefer a complex storyline with less information and a more linear plot, but that may just be me, don`t let it color your book buying decision. 

So if you are looking for a book with a myriad of threads ready to be wound tightly into a tidy storyline, this is just the book for you!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

                                     About the Author

Dee Henderson

Dee Henderson is the author of numerous novels, including Taken, Undetected, Unspoken, Full Disclosure, and the acclaimed O'Malley and Uncommon Heroes series. Her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards,...

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Book Review: Long Time Gone

From the Back:

Someone Will Stop at Nothing to Claim the Boden Homestead!
The Boden clan thought their problems had ended with the death of a dangerous enemy, but have they uncovered the real plot to take their 1880s New Mexico ranch? Justin Boden is a top rancher and a rugged man, and yet with his brother, Cole, shot and in mortal danger, even a tough man faces doubts. And it doesn't help that Angie DuPree, the assistant to the doctor trying to save Cole, is as distracting a woman as Justin ever laid eyes on.

With her and the doc's timely skills, Cole looks to be on the mend. Now Justin and the rest of the Bodens can turn their attention back to the threats facing them. It's clear now that everything that's occurred is part of a much bigger plot that could date back to a decades-old secret. Can they pull together all the pieces before danger closes in on them, or is the risk of losing the ranch even greater than any of them could imagine?

My Reflections:

Long Time Gone is book two in the Cimarron Legacy, and although you could probably read it as a stand-alone, I would not recommend it. Too many details will be lost, and the essence of the story may turn murky. The mystery and danger jump start this story from page one, so saddle up your horse and get ready for the ride.

Although not my all-time favorite book from this author, I did find that I quite enjoyed the rough and tumble action and adventure. The plot is well thought out and includes many elements of surprise. I also fell in love with the character Angie, she is brave, spunky and has the tenacity to push through the trials of her life. Let's see if she can get past her hurt and let Justin into her life.

Cole can't seem to get Angie out of his mind, and heart. Although she is the last person, he ever thought he would be attracted to. Her penchant for danger and mishap lead them into all kinds of trouble. Angie is not what a cowhand looks for in a wife, but Cole is discovering that sometimes matters of the heart are entirely illogical!

Long time gone will appeal to those who love western heroes and lovable heroines. I am looking forward to Mary Connealy's next book in this series.

About THE AUTHOR

Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy writes "romantic comedies with cowboys" and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas,...

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