Book Review: Along the Rio Grande

 

Is her compassion doing more harm than good?

Recently widowed Susanna Jenkins has decided to follow her family to the booming town of San Marcial, New Mexico, for a fresh start and to aid in her family's sudden change in fortune. They are tasked with managing her uncle's new Grand Hotel, and it takes all her patience to try to help her parents see the good of their circumstances and relinquish their sense of entitlement.

She's hopeful when her brother becomes determined to get a job and make his own way, and she feels drawn to his kind boss, Owen Turner, who works as a boilermaker for the Santa Fe's train shops in town. But the hard work only seems to fuel her brother's anger, and his rough new friends give her pause.

When misguided choices put Susanna's family in an even more precarious situation, she worries her help has only made things worse. Leaving her family to fend for themselves seems like the best option, but how can she walk away from the true friendships--and love--that she's found?

My Reflections:

Tracy Peterson remains one of my favorite authors, and for good reason. Her newest book took me away to another time and place. I could not put this book down, the characters jumped off the pages and I became one with their world for a short time. Set in 1899 in New Mexico this story begins with Susanna's plight of trying to contend with not only becoming newly widowed but also trying to help her family where she can. I had a hard time with her father, brother, and mother's attitudes, whew I wanted to jump into the pages and set some boundaries!

 Susanna is a hardworking kind-hearted character. She is truly invested in her family and the world around her. It is hard to believe she was raised by her parents as they are polar opposite! Many times I found myself wanting to have a good heart to heart with this character, coming from a co-dependent family I could have told her a thing or two!

Owen was one of my favorites as well. He tries to live a life pleasing to God and live by his values. Susanna and Owen are a wonderful match as they both want the same things in life. But Owen must face his own skeletons before he can truly help Susanna and her family.

This is a fantastic read. I enjoyed how the details about the job, setting, and people brought the details to life and breathed a cohesive story into the making.

If you are looking for your next Traci Peterson fix here you have it, my friends. A whole new series to binge read on! Now we just have to wait for her next installment..

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

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana. Visit...

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Book Review: In Search Of A Prince

 

From The Back:

It seems like a dream come true . . . until it forces her to question everything.

Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha's Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops a bombshell--Brielle is really a princess in the island kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, off the coast of Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, the king, is failing.

Distraught by all the secrets her mother kept, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before her coronation, or the crown will pass to another. Brielle is uncertain if she even wants the throne, and with her world totally shaken, where will she find the courage to take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring?

My Reflections:

In Search of a Prince weaves the classic fairy tale into a realistic modern-day version. This is the modern princess we have all been waiting for. 

I blissfully enjoyed every page of this book, it hit all the right places. Faith, romance (yet be it slow and simmering) strength of spirit, and a touch of surprise. This story feels fluffy on the outside but it delves much deeper into the core beliefs we all must tease out in life. I enjoyed the beautiful setting, the storyline, and the adorable characters.

I so appreciated the character and strength Brielle exhibited. Such a hefty role to have thrust upon you, yet Brielle masterfully pulls it off making this a believable story in an otherwise unbelievable storyline. 

This is a rare jewel, it made me laugh, cry, and anxiously await the next page. If you are looking for a new romance that is modern yet picturesque of your fairy tale days this is the book for you, my friends!

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

Toni Shiloh

Toni Shiloh (www.tonishiloh.com) is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. Her novel Grace Restored was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist, and Risking Love was a 2020 Selah Award finalist. As a member of the American...

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Book Review: Life Flight

 

From the back:

EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high-stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient--and a serial killer on the loose--tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield's help. But she's not out of the woods yet.

In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer--before the killer catches one of them.

My Reflections:

This is the first book in Lynette Eason's newest book "Extreme Measures"

If you are looking for a book that boasts extreme Action danger and psychological terror this is the book for you. The bad guy is truly chilling, and the twists and turns keep the reader entranced through the whole book.

Penny Carlton is a spunky fighter, her actions to thwart the killer are nothing more than amazing. I don't think I would hold up to the stress this character boasts. She is always on her toes and is willing to do what it takes to catch the suspect, even if it puts her life on the line.

Holt is the a likeable character his ability to dodge danger is however lacking as Penny is often the one to save him. He is adorable with Penny, and they make a sweet couple. Throughout the book I felt like he should hurry up and just reveal his past and get on with things. Their relationship is slow moving but the unfurling is worth the wait.

The villain's in this novel are creepy and some scenes are pretty dark. I was sure glad I was hiding behind pages instead of living this drama.

All in all I rate this book five stars. Lynette Eason has never disappointed me. Her books are always filled with sustenance and life. You won't regret opening this book, but beware it is quite the ride!

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

Lynette Eason

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of Life Flight and the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award,...

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Book Review: The Nature of Small Birds

 

From the back:

In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When one of those children announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.

Mindy's father grapples with the tension between holding on tightly and letting his daughter spread her wings. Her mother undergoes the emotional roller coaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy and her sister struggle to find the strength to accept each other as they both discover who they truly are.

My Reflections:

If you know me you know that I am a bird lover, so when I saw the beautiful cover of "The Nature of small birds" I just knew I needed to read it.

The cover which lead me to the pages did not disappoint. Within I found a beautifully soft, gently flowing narrative with amazing quotes and a compelling storyline. 

Told in three timelines, beginning in 1975 (Mom Linda), 1998 (Sister Sonny), and then skipping to 2013 (Dad Bruce.) These are all told in the voices of Linda, Sonny, and Bruce. I adored this format, you can tell the author did her research! 

Susie Finkbeiner has extreme talent in bringing this book together in a cohesive manner. She hits it just right and the reader gets to experience the culture of each era and the feel of the character. A heartwarming story following the love, acceptance, and complexities of a family knit together by God's design. A must-read!

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

Susie Finkbeiner

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, and Stories That Bind Us, as well as A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She...

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Book Review: A Warrior's Heart

 

From the Back:

Her heart longs for peace, but peace won't keep them safe.

Brielle Durand is still haunted by the massacre that killed her mother a dozen years before. Vowing to never let it happen again, she's risen to be the key defender for her people's peace-loving French settlement living in hidden caves in the Canadian Rockies. When a foreigner wanders too near to their secret home, she has no choice but to disarm and capture him. But now, what to do with this man who insists he can be trusted?

Hoping to escape past regrets, Evan MacManus ventured into the unknown, assigned to discover if the northern mountains contain an explosive mineral that might help America win the War of 1812. Despite being taken prisoner, Evan is determined to complete his mission. But when that assignment becomes at odds with his growing appreciation of the villagers and Brielle, does he follow through on his promise to his government or take a risk on where his heart is leading him? Either choice will cause harm to someone.

Brielle and Evan must reconcile the warring in their hearts to have any hope of finding peace for their peoples.

My Reflections:

Misty Beller's newest series titled  "Brides of Laurent" is an inspiring, heartwarming tale of second chances, strength, faith, and integrity. Readers will be transported back to the 19th Century, a land of beauty and unrest.

Brielle Durand is fiercely protective of her people. Having lived through a heartwrenching tragedy that took the lives of many of her people including her own mother Brielle's heart is continuously on the lookout for danger.  When she tracks an interloper set to discover her encampment she is quick to act. 

Evan MacManus is oblivious to the fact that he is being hunted. sent on a mission by James Madison, he is set on finding the sought-after explosive material presumedly found in the Canadian Rockies. He never expected to cross paths with a reclusive community hidden in the caves, nor did he expect to be taken, hostage!

Both Brielle and Evan have secrets, will they be able to overcome their haunted pasts in order to work together for a better future?

If you are looking for a stirring, memorable story look no further. Beller has penned the perfect start to her new series, I can't wait for book two!

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

Misty M. Beller

USA Today bestselling author Misty M. Beller (www.mistymbeller.com) writes romantic mountain stories set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God's love. Her Southern roots run deep, and she lives in South Carolina with her husband and...

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Book Review: Come Back to Me

 

From the Back:

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight, comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

My Reflections: 

I am usually not the time travel type, but I adore Jody Hedlund's work so much that I went for the leap. I was pleasantly surprised at how this book transformed my previous assumptions. Her spin on time travel was unique and certainly nothing like what I have read before.  

"Come Back to Me" revolves around the medieval time period of 1381, England and the present time. Will Derham a handsome and chivalrous knight, rescues Marian Creighton from an upcoming beating. In return for his protection, he offers her his hand in marriage. The thing is Marian needs to locate the vial of holy water in order to heal her father who is in a coma and save her sister who suffers from a genetic condition. Then there is the small fact that she is travelling in a different time period. Marian must act quickly as her father's and sister's very lives depend on her. Confused by her growing attraction to Will and her quest for the holy water, Marian must make some hard decisions.

Hedlund has certainly done her research for this novel. Moving seamlessly from present time to 1381 is no small feat I'm sure! The Historical details made the book jump to life and her characters were spot on for both time periods. This was such a fun book to read. Even though I normally don't go for this type of genre Hedlund masterfully weaves an unforgettable tale sure to please.

Book Review: A Man With A Past

 

From the back:

He must piece together his past if he's to have any chance at a future.

Falcon Hunt traveled west, compelled to start a new life by a surprise telegram that promised him an inheritance and a family in Wyoming. But shortly after arriving, he wakes in a river, completely unaware of who or where he is. As he tries to regain his memory, he meets two men who claim to be his half brothers and the prettiest woman in the area, Cheyenne Brewster. Only trouble is, a few flashes of memory make Falcon wonder if he's already married.

Falcon immediately draws Cheyenne's ire as he so closely resembles her no-good stepfather who swindled her out of inheriting her mother's property. But despite her resentments, she has to admit these newcomers' presence has some appeal, especially after Falcon steals a kiss.

When shootings start happening on the ranch, it's clear someone is gunning for the Hunt brothers. Falcon and Cheyenne set out to find who is behind the attacks, but it'll take all their savvy and skill to deal with their enemies and the potentially forbidden love growing between them.

My Reflections:

In Mary Connealy's second book "The Brothers in Arms" series, you will expect to be entertained for many solid hours. I have to admit this author consistently has me reading well into the wee hours of the night, I simply must keep reading! 

This book is no exception, in this series the plot builds onto the first book "Braced For Love." Readers can expect a good recap, for this reason, I would suggest this not be read as a standalone, read them in order to get the full benefits of the story!

A Man With A Past continues with the story of the Hunt Brothers. Falcon Hunt seems to have lost his memory putting him in a rather awkward situation. He can't recall the two men who claim to be his brothers, but he sure wants to get to know the beautiful lady named Cheyenne. When flashes of his past life come to light Falcon struggles with his building interest in this beautiful lady. Being the honourable man he is, he tries to live by his deep-rooted values hoping to remember enough of his past in order to build a future.

Cheyenne is the half-sister to Wyatt Hunt she is a firecracker of a woman who holds her resentment close after being cut off from the ranch she was raised on. When more confusion comes her way in the form of a handsome cowboy with no memory, things get really interesting!

I love that Mary Connealy weaves other characters into her novels interconnecting stories to add to her future series. I can't wait for book three! If you are looking for a novel packed with handsome cowboys, adventure and a sprinkle of humour this just might be the book you are searching for!