Book Review: Serving up Love

On the Menu for These Ladies?
Adventure, Independence, and a Big Serving of Romance! A storied part of American history, Harvey Houses offered women a unique chance to gain independence and see amazing parts of this great country. Celebrated historical romance writers Tracie Peterson, Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, and Jen Turano offer four fun, romantic tales of Harvey girls whose western adventures lead to love.

Tracie Peterson - A Flood of Love
Returning home to New Mexico for the first time in years to fill in at the Harvey House, Gretchen Gottsacker is sure the past is behind her. But nothing can be that simple. When the man she loved long ago steps back into her life--with a daughter, no less--will she ever be the same?

Karen Witemeyer - More Than a Pretty Face
Rosalind Kemp becomes a Harvey Girl, clinging to the promise of one day transferring even farther west, someplace her youthful indiscretion won't catch up to her. But the past is hard to escape, and when the worst occurs, will anyone stand up for her?

Regina Jennings - Intrigue a la Mode
When Willow Kentworth is warned that strange things are happening in the railyard after dark, she never intends to get involved. That is until a handsome new employee at the Harvey House--who has secrets of his own--needs her assistance.

Jen Turano - A Grand Encounter
After her fiancé abandons her, Miss Myrtle Schermerhorn flees New York's pity for a position at the El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon. She's determined to hold fast to her life of independence--but a rugged, frequent guest of the hotel makes that vow difficult to uphold.

My Reflections:

I love it when all my favourite authors get together and make novellas, I'm never disappointed!
This is a charming and lively set of stories that will be sure to delight your heart, and with the world, in a state of a pandemic lockdown, this is the perfect set of novels to lift your spirits and take away the boredom of being homebound!

You will find each novella filled with characters full of spit and vinegar, yet with the moral compass to make sound choices. Each story brings to light their own unique style and faith messages. You can't go wrong with these four authors, I would highly recommend you find some digital way to purchase this book! We can't leave our homes, but we can still enjoy our time with great literature and the people we cherish. Stay safe, and keep looking up!

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

Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family...

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Karen Witemeyer

Voted #1 Reader's Favorite Christian Romance Author of 2019 by Family Fiction Magazine, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer (www.karenwitemeyer.com) offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humour, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas...

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Regina Jennings

Regina Jennings (www.reginajennings.com) is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history. She's the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book...

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Jen Turano

Jen Turano, (www.jenturano.com) a USA Today bestselling author, has written four historical romance series. She is a member of ACFW and RWA and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

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Book Review: The Major's Daughter

From The Back:

She Staked a Claim on His Land,
So He Decided to Stake a Claim on Her Heart
Caroline Adams returns to Indian Territory after tiring of confining society life. She wants adventure, and when she and her friend Amber come across swaggering outlaw Frisco Smith, his dreams for the new territory are very persuasive. With the much-anticipated land run about to happen, she may just join the rush.

Growing up an orphan, all Frisco Smith wanted was a place to call his own. It's no wonder he fought to open the Unassigned Lands to people with the same longing. After years of sneaking across the border, he's even managed to build a dugout house on a hidden piece of property he's poised to claim.

But when the gun sounds, everyone's best plans are thrown out the window in the chaos of the run. Caroline and Frisco find themselves battling over a claim--and both dig in their heels. Settling the rightful ownership will bring these two closer than they ever expected and change their ideas of what a true home looks like.

Reflections:

The Major’s Daughter is the final instalment of Regina Jennings’ Fort Reno trilogy, a frontier love story which unfolds against the backdrop of one of the most underrepresented time-periods of American history in fiction, the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. 

The novel’s protagonists are Caroline Adams, the titular major’s daughter who craves independence, and Frisco Smith, an orphan who became a roguish lawyer. Both feel confined by societal expectations and view staking a claim of their own in the Unassigned Lands as the only avenue to freedom, but, with both their dreams riding on the same plot of land, Caroline and Frisco’s relationship alternates between flirtation and bickering. 

The author has neither of her main characters obviously “in the right”, with both being endearingly empathetic and selfishly obstinate in regards to their land dispute and budding romance. Their character growth is the most entertaining and rewarding aspect of The Major’s Daughter. The excitement and turmoil of this particular historical setting is another phenomenal component to the story; the love story is decidedly enhanced through Jennings’ depiction of a town being established literally from the ground up. 

The charming prose is easy to engage, and the story is both tender and rather comedic. The romantic storyline includes an element of faith as well as a suspenseful mystery regarding a nearby settlement. Amber and Bradley, the protagonists from a previous instalment of the series, are also point-of-view characters. Despite the continuation of their romance, this book can be comfortably read as a standalone novel.

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

Regina Jennings

Regina Jennings (www.reginajennings.com) is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history. She's the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book...

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Book Review: Hearts Entwined

From The Back:

Hearts EntwinedFour Historical Romance Novellas of Love (With a Twist of Humor)

The ways of love can be complex. Sometimes a relationship full of unexpected twists and unlikely turns leads to a bond that's strong and secure. Join Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Melissa Jagears for novellas that follow the winding path of romance in stories that celebrate a love that lasts forever.

The Love Knot- Karen WitemeyerWhen Claire Nevin's troubled younger sibling sends her an unexpected package by rail, the gift and the man who delivers it--an unexpected face from the past--threaten to upend Claire's life forever. Fighting to hold on to all she has built, will she lose what matters most?

My reflections:

Oh, how I wish this were longer. Karen Witemeyer is one of my all-time favourite authors and to have my taste buds wet and not get the full meal was so, so hard on my literary addiction! I'm satisfied only with the knowledge that she will write more books. Once again I will be steeped in her abilities to tie together a string of words so captivating that I will stay up late until the finish.

In this story, the characters are realistically penned along with their many flaws and abilities. I think my favourite part of the book had to have been when the main character Clair gets to the train to pick up a certain parcel that has her whole life upended. I thought she took this shock much better than I would have, seamlessly adapting and rearranging priorities to make it all work out in the end. Throw into the mix past love interest, Pieter Van Duren showing up with the "package!" 

Overall a sweet and tender story filled with human qualities that make you want to sigh and keep reading.

The Tangled Ties That Bind- Mary ConnealyConnor Kincaid returns home determined to win the hand of the woman he was too young for when he left. But Maggie is training to be a doctor in a distant town, while Connor's about to settle on a ranch. Will either be willing to give up their dream? Or will they both have to give up the love of a lifetime?

My Reflections:

Mary Connealy keeps us reading with her "Tangles Ties that Bind." 

I so enjoyed catching up with the Kincaid/ Borden families. Conner Kincaid is home again, but this time he is a man on a mission, and no one will stop him now. Conner will even sacrifice his expectations and dreams to chase after Maggie.Trouble is she seems to have become more headstrong and determined than he remembers her to be. No matter Conner is ready to follow her where ever, even to the big city. Also to take any job to be with her. 

Maggie wants to become a doctor, she has set her mind to it, and no one will stop her now that she finally has a direction. Can these two tie the knot and pursue their dreams? God always finds a way, but it is often not our way!

Bound and Determined- Regina Jennings

As punishment for his recklessness, Private Bradley Willis is sent on an errand to help a retired cavalry officer move a herd across Indian Territory. No one told him the herd would be camels instead of cattle, nor that the officer's headstrong daughter, Ambrosia Herald, would seem to be trying to undermine the whole enterprise. He's definitely been saddled with more than he's bargained for.

My Reflections:

Camels? Wow, I must say I didn't expect that! 

Private Bradley Willis and Ambrosia Herald must work closely to escort these zany animals across the bone-dry Indian territory! This story has its quirks, and right out funny moments, mostly with the camels. Jam-packed with historical detail this story aims to please, who wouldn't love a romance combined with fascinating historical detail and headstrong characters!

Tied and True- Melissa Jagears

Wealthy Marianne Lister is in love with business assistant Calvin Hochstetler, but he can't see past the difference in their social status. When Marianne takes a job to prove that she is prepared for a life of hard work alongside the man of her dreams, will it be enough to convince Calvin to risk it all for love?

My Reflections:

This final novella centres on a series I am very familiar with, the Teaville Moral Society. Marianne Lister's one determined lady, her devotion to her cause is admirable. Despite the looming threat of being disinherited, she runs headlong into her cause, pursuing her love Calvin Hochstetler, no matter the cost. Is she ready to throw her status away? Will Calvin get the hint? A heartwarming story you won't want to miss!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Holding the Fort

From The Back:

With Miss Bell as the Teacher, Everyone's Bound to Learn an Interesting Lesson
Dance hall singer Louisa Bell has always lived one step from destitution. When she loses her job at the Cat-Eye Saloon, she has nowhere else to go but to her brother, a cavalry soldier stationed in Indian Territory. But he's run afoul of his commanding officer. Unsure what she can do to help him and desperate for a job, she doesn't protest when she's mistaken for a governess at the fort. How hard can teaching really be?

Major Daniel Adams has his hands full at Fort Reno, especially raising two adolescent daughters alone. If this new governess doesn't work out, his mother-in-law insists she'll raise the girls herself--far away from the fort. Miss Bell bears little resemblance to Daniel's notion of a governess--they're not supposed to be so blamed pretty--but he finds himself turning a blind eye to her unconventional methods. Louisa has never faced so important a performance. Can she keep her act together long enough to help her brother and to secure the respectable future she's sought for so long?

My Reflections:

This comical book about mistaken identity, romance and wild misadventures kept me entertained thought its entirety!

From page one to the last you are transported into Loisa Bells shoes. How I enjoyed this character! 

One thing leads to another when a dance hall singer turn governess has to tame two wild children, along with their handsome father, Major Daniel Adams. 

Loisa (Lola) never wanted to be a dance hall singer, but circumstances forced her hand, that same fate has brought her to find her brother for help. Having lost her job to a younger girl Loisa must find a solution to her dilemma. While en route to the Fort, she comes across a governess who must turn back due to allergies, Loisa promises to pass along the teaching materials. Upon her arrival, Loisa is mistaken for that very governess, in desperation she goes along with the rouse, but soon after as she develops a bond with the family, the weight of her deception presses upon her.
Will she be able to come clean? Can Daniel ever trust or forgive her?

This was such a fun story, though I found the plot predictable in nature the story was cute and quirky and certainly kept me entertained. The romance was well written, realistic, honoring and clean. Both characters had their flaws, which made them endearing and real. As usual Regina Jennings delivers another hit with this one, I would expect nothing less.


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

Regina Jennings

Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history. She's the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award....

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Book Review: For the Record

From the Back:

Rather Than Wait for a Hero, She Decided to Create One 
Betsy Huckabee has big-city dreams, but nobody outside of tiny Pine Gap, Missouri, seems interested in the articles she writes for her uncle's newspaper. Her hopes for independence may be crushed, until the best idea she's ever had comes riding into town.

Deputy Joel Puckett didn't want to leave Texas, but unfair circumstances have made moving to Pine Gap his only shot at keeping a badge. Worse, this small town has big problems, and masked marauders have become too comfortable taking justice into their own hands. He needs to make clear that he's the law in this town--and that job is made more difficult with a nosy reporter who seems to follow him everywhere he goes.

The hero Betsy creates to be the star in a serial for the ladies' pages is based on the dashing deputy, but he's definitely fictional. And since the pieces run only in newspapers far away, no one will ever know. But the more time she spends with Deputy Puckett, the more she appreciates the real hero--and the more she realizes what her ambition could cost him.

My Reflections:

Historical romance at its finest with Regina Jennings's newest book "For the Record."
Nothing screams desperate like an annoying maiden past her prime traipsing through the backcountry looking for a good story..or perhaps a dashing hero?

Betsy Huckabee is just that girl. A dreamer, a budding writer, a tad desperate to be heard, to be taken seriously to be swept off her feet, well not really. Betsy is done with men after all she has given them up entirely, that is until a newcomer arrives at the dusty depot, ruffled and sure of himself. She only intends to use him as fodder for her articles, but what happens next is quite the unexpected.

Deputy Joel Puckett finds his new post in Pine Gap simply exasperating. Not only does he lack the support from the townspeople, but he also finds himself saddled with a less than a stellar horse and a bothersome sidekick. Can these two work out their differences long enough to bring law and order to this town or will winsome and headstrong Betsy ruin his every attempt? Will the fine deputy's past catch up with him?

Hilariously awkward, deliciously romantic and non-stop antics keep the pages flipping in this historical fiction. If you are looking for a tantalizingly sweet romance with action and humor, look no further this is your book!

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

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1. Regina Jennings

   Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She is the author of A Most Inconvenient Marriage, Sixty Acres and a Bride, and Caught in the Middle, and contributed a novella to...

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