Book Review: Aiming For Love

From The Back:

When Strangers Intrude
on Three Wild Sisters' Hidden Mountain Life,
Their World Will Never Be the Same. Josephine Nordegren is one of three sisters who grew up nearly wild in southwestern Colorado. She has the archery skills of Robin Hood and the curiosity of the Little Mermaid, fascinated by but locked away from the forbidden outside world--a world she's been raised to believe killed her parents. When David Warden, a rancher, brings in a herd much too close to the girls' secret home, her older sister is especially frightened, but Jo is too interested to stay away.

David's parents follow soon on his heels, escaping bandits at their ranch. But his father is wounded and needs shelter. Josephine and her sisters have the only cabin on the mountain. Do they risk stepping into the world to help those in need? Or do they remain separated but safe in the peaks of Hope Mountain?

My Reflections:
Mary Connealy can always be counted on to pen a heartwarming, thought-provoking and well-planned novel. I am overjoyed that she has this new series out. The "Brides Of Hope Mountain" have once again proven my assumptions, another strong start to another fantastic series! 

Nestled deep in the Colorado mountains in the year 1873 live three sisters. They have a knack for living off the land and have not encountered another person other than their own family members for the entirety of their lives. Imagine meeting not just one person but a whole bunch of people, talk about socially inept! 

Jo Nordegren is spunky and adventurous, her curiosity will play a vital role in leading her and her sisters into a terrifyingly exciting new adventure. 

David and his family along with all the crew escape to the deep mountains with their extensive herd of cattle, and a few chickens. They manage to outrun the outlaws who are bent at taking over the ranch no matter the cost. David is completely thrown off balance when he discovers Jo sneaking around his camp. Where did she come from and what on earth is she doing in the middle of this rugged out country? Will the three sisters be able to help this massive intrusive bunch? Will civilization be able to tame these sisters' wild ways, or will it prove too much too soon? 

There are plenty of challenges and hurdles to climb in this delightfully engaging new series, it is sure to delight readers of all ages! I am eagerly anticipating book two, so Mary Connealy don't make us wait too long!

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

Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) 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...

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Book Review: Dark Ambitions

From The Back:

Danger lurks when ambitions turn deadly . . .
Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan usually has his camp for foster children to himself during the winter months. But someone has visited recently--leaving a trail of blood. One of the two clues left behind tips Rick off to the identity of his visitor, who soon turns up dead. The police deem it an accident, but Rick isn't convinced.

With the help of private investigator Heather Shields, he sets out to decipher the remaining clue. Except someone doesn't want them to succeed--and will stop at nothing to keep them from finding the truth

My Reflections:
Ohh, Irene Hannon, you have done it again! This just might be one of my favourite novels penned by Hannon. Her attention to detail and the tension created in the plot kept me reading well past an appropriate time!

The story opens with Former army night stalker Rick Jordan (who has reformed his life to helping run a camp for foster children) Rick comes across what looks to be blood on the ice of his tranquil pond. After further examination, he realizes this may be bigger than he was prepared for. 
When indeed it looks like this could be a message from his long-ago army buddy, Rick knows he will not rest until he knows what is going on.

Desperate for answers he turns to Phoenix Inc where he meets investigator Heather Shields, the attraction is immediate on both sides and they both strive to maintain a cool and composed business relationship. Knowing this investigation hinges on putting their feelings on the back burner both dive into the evidence and truth available to them.

This book will keep you guessing until the end, which is the hallmark of an expert suspense author.
I found myself deeply engaged in all aspects of this story and am pretty confident my readers who love suspense will eat this one up as well!

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

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including Hope Harbor, Sea Rose Lane, Sandpiper Cove, Pelican Point, and Driftwood Bay, as well as the Code of Honor, Private Justice, and Men of Valor...

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Book Review: God Confident Kids Helping Your Child Find True Purpose, Passion and Peace

From The Back:

"A must-read for any parent seeking wisdom for their vital and increasingly challenging role."--Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family

Our children and teens are growing up more anxious, depressed, and fearful than previous generations. But if we help them discover true God-confidence--instead of chasing the illusive self-confidence--we can empower them to embrace their uniqueness and find their purpose, passion, and peace as they grow into humble, compassionate, and resilient young people.

In this hopeful book, associate marriage and family therapist Cyndie Claypool de Neve explains how you can help your kids discover the purpose for which God created them. God-Confident Kids is filled with stories, Scripture, psychological insights, and practical tips to help you move from fear-based parenting to faith-filled parenting as you claim Ephesians 2:10 for your kids: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (NIV).

My Reflections: Who as a parent doesn't want their children to have lasting, true unshakable faith? I believe everyone is created with a very special purpose, a God-given purpose no matter who you are. Whether you choose to follow God's leading or not is a choice. As parents is it not our calling to try to help our children follow God's ways? Ah, but there is the choice factor right? How as parents do we help lay out the path for them? We as flawed people flounder and pray, and read books like these to gain a little insight into the best practices, then we leave it in the creator's hands. 

I loved how Cyndie Claypool De Neve uses personal stories scripture and psychology in a synergistic fashion. Her book has many nuggets of wisdom to glean from and I highly recommend this handy little book to anyone involved with children. 

Packed with sound God centred wisdom, I am sure you will be left with many new ideas and some old ones to ponder a little deeper. I especially enjoyed the quick tips sections, where I could find practical skills that I could start implementing straight away!

If you are looking for a great Christmas break book this is it, friends, you can't go wrong with this one. Easy to read, God centred parenting and extremely practical, How can you go wrong?

Cyndie Claypool de Neve

Cyndie Claypool de Neve, a former journalist with an MA in counseling psychology, is the coauthor of Unshaken, Start With Praise, and Raise Them Up. She has appeared on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk Radio and has a growing speaking...

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Book Review: One More River to Cross

From The Back:

Adversity can squelch the human spirit . . . or it can help us discover strength we never knew we had.
In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company leaves Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada. They enjoy a safe journey--until October, when a fierce mountain snowstorm forces difficult decisions.

The party separates in three directions. Some go overland around Lake Tahoe. Others stay to guard the heaviest wagons. The rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River awaiting rescue. The months ahead will be long and at times terrifying. But with friendship, family, and enough courage to overcome their fear, these intrepid pioneers will discover what truly matters in times of trial.

My Reflections:

I usually gobble up Jane Kirkpatrick's works, this one, however, left me a little Parched.

Normally historical dramas tickle me pink, I love the cohesion of fact and fiction intermingling. This story was factually intriguing and kept me turning the pages, I did, however, find the multitude of characters confusing and this fact along with the sheer misery that was never-ending sunk my enthusiasm a tad. 

Set in the American West in the 1840s this tale is based on a  true store by Donna M Wojcik It was a footnote actually, posted in the "Brazen Overlanders of 1845" Years later Jane Kirkpatrick decided this was going to be the basis of her new novel. This is so awesome and I love these types of stories. 

Perhaps it is my mind frame at the moment or that the story was just so sad and cold and hungry that I felt bleak. This coupled with my terrible memory for names, and with them being so similar, I well felt a little lost at times! Thankfully Kirkpatrick includes an index on pages 11, 12 and 13. So, in short, I loved the context of the story but got lost in the process. Please don't let my review sway you though, because you may love a story that has not been sugar-coated, the grit of these settlers is beyond anything we have ever endured. You may love a multitude of characters, your dendrites may just be more complex and developed!

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

Jane Kirkpatrick

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 books, including Everything She Didn't Say, All She Left Behind, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road...

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Book Review: Hope's Highest Mountain

From The Back:

When Ingrid Chastain agreed to accompany her father to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory, she never could have anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. Rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man who tends her injuries, but she's hesitant to put her trust in this man who seems to have wounds of his own.

After tragedy struck his family, Micah Bradley left his work as a doctor and escaped to the wilds of Montana. But his self-imposed solitude is broken when he finds Ingrid in desperate need of medical attention, and he's forced to call on his doctoring skills once again.

Micah can't help but admire Ingrid's tenacity despite the severity of her injuries, until he learns the crate she brought contains smallpox vaccines to help quell a nearby outbreak. With Ingrid dead set on delivering the medicine--with or without his help--he has no choice but to accompany her. As they set off through the treacherous, snow-covered Rocky Mountains against all odds, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.

My Reflections:

I find that I am drawn to a book first by its cover then second by the synopsis on the back. I was about to pass this one up due to the cover not catching my eye. I am so glad that I read the back and my interest was peaked, this book was a treat to read. The characters are multidimensional and the writing is beautifully penned. I adore books centring around the medical field and a doctor who flees his career makes these types of stories so much juicier! Pair all these things with the stunning backdrop of the misty Montana mountains and I was smitten!

Ingrid is travelling with her father who is a physician and researcher to deliver Small Pox vaccines to the remote backcountry when the unthinkable happens. Ingrid's resilience and determination are remarkable as she struggles with her injuries. Will she be able to fulfil her quest?

Micah Bradley is a physician by trade but all that is behind him, all he wants is the solitude the misty mountains can provide. His self imposed exile is broken when he crosses paths with Ingrid who is very much in need of his doctoring skills. Can he truly help Ingrid, or with the past continue to destroy his God giving gifts? 

I'm sure readers will love the depth and thread of perseverance through the entirety of this story. I absolutely love how God speaks to us through everything, even books we read. In this book, the author really hits home the message of his faithfulness. Out of any bad situation can come beauty. Perhaps a different type of ending we imagine but a more beautiful one then we could have ever dreamed up ourselves. That my friends is our God.

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

Misty M. Beller

After working for 13 years in the corporate world, Misty M. Beller (mistymbeller.com) is now the author of fourteen independently published Christian historical romance novels. Raised on a farm in South Carolina, she combines her love for Christian fiction and...

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Book Review: The Words Between Us

From the Back

Robin Windsor has spent much of her life under an assumed name to avoid association with her infamous parents. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary running her used bookstore in quiet River City, Michigan. But when she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. Why would Peter be making contact now? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

My Reflections:

Erin Bartels captivates her readers from the start with "The Words Between Us." Her story is so all-encompassing that I found my self pondering this tale well after the last page was flipped. Luckily I had a chunk of time to devote to this book because I'm not sure much would get done until I crawled out of this raw and engaging story.

Robin Windsor is a brave and resilient woman. Having endured a rough and traumatic childhood has done her best to create a new and very separate life from what she experienced as a child. 

Her experiences have forged the steel in her spirit and sharpened her abilities, however, that resilience and steel have left its mark, no matter how hard she tries she will need to reopen those wounds so that the festering can be purged, healed and she can become even more. The journey is painful but the outcome is akin to watching a long ravaging storm then the sunshine that is birthed in the morning.

I absolutely adored all the characters in this novel! I'm no doubt a book fan so the references to several good books mentioned in the tale made my heart sing, silly but true!

I also loved the dual timeline the peek into the mind of a teenager then the same character as an adult was very fascinating. The icing on the cake of this story was watching Robin transform. She realizes her growth and claims the balm of forgiveness, this is true living! If you are looking for your next read, this is a perfect treat. It would also make a great Christmas gift!

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

Erin Bartels

Erin Bartels is the author of We Hope for Better Things and The Words between Us. A publishing professional for seventeen years, she is a member of Capital City Writers and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Her short story "This...

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Book Review: What Comes My Way

From The Back:

At the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, there's something special each and every night!
Ella Fleming is on the run from her past and the secrets that could tear her family apart. As a member of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, a wild west show comprised of all-female performers, her uncanny talent for trick riding impresses the audience. Only while performing can she forget her former life--and the man she knows to be a murderer.

Phillip DeShazer has secrets of his own and has done his best to bury his guilt in work and drink. Realizing he needs something more, he seeks answers and finds support and kindness from the beautiful Ella. The more she comes to his rescue, however, the more his guilt grows. He's fallen in love with her and feels confident that she returns his feelings, but he's not sure he's worthy of her love.

Uncertain of what will come their way, Ella and Phillip must learn to trust God even when the road they travel takes them in different directions--and into danger. Only then can love be a part of their journey.

My Reflections:
This is Petersons's third book in the Brookstone Brides series set in the early 20th century. Filled with talented rodeo slingers and old west adventures Petersons newest book is a delightful way to end this series.

This being the third and last of the series Peterson was able to tie up several loose threads from her previous two books. Though there seemed to be little surprise in the way the love interests play out, or how the plot progressed I still enjoyed the story and was warmed to its conclusion. There is little in the way of spiritual content, but we do see the example of the way the characters conducted themselves, which is clean and family-friendly. The action is not as gripping as some of Peterson's previous books, but it is there and readers do engage in a tinge of excitement throughout the story. 

If you love westerns and you have read the other two books, I think this would be a nice way to kick back and enjoy being transported to another era. 

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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