Swept Away

I first read Mary Connealy books last month.  I got her book, Out of Control, free on Kindle loved it and bought the other two in the series. I found her new book, Swept Away on Netgalley and decided I had to read it, so I signed up to review it.  The interesting thing was that the main character from Swept Away, Luke Stone, is the brother of Callie who is Seth Kincaid's wife in the third book of the Kincaid Brother's series.  So, since I loved that book, I had to read this one.

Swept Away starts out introducing us to Ruthy who lost her parents and was taken in by her neighbors.  They make her do lots of work and hit her a lot.  She also has to deal with their son who tries to take advantage of her. The family is on a wagon train when the wagon is carried away by a flooded river.  Ruthy is swept away and later found by Luke as he is trying to get back to his home that someone killed his father and has pretended to own the land with a fake document.  When he gets home he finds friends and they make a plan to take over the ranch.  If you like shootouts in stories this is definitely your book as there is a really good one in the story.

 I really loved this story.  I could not put the book down.  I love the author's detail to the historical aspects of the story.  I also enjoyed the romance that seemed to blossom with Ruthy and Luke.  I never knew how much I liked historical westerns until I read Mary Connealy's books.  I really cannot wait to read the rest of the Trouble in Texas series.  There was definitely trouble in this book and I loved every minute of it!

This e-book was provided through Netgalley and Bethany House publishers, I was not required to give a positive review.

The Rancher's Secret Wife

The Rancher’s Secret Wife is the first book I have read by Brenda Minton.  The book starts out in Las Vegas when Cheyenne, a waitress, is really upset because the father of her baby tried to get her to have an abortion.  She wants to keep the baby but does not know how she can make it.  Along comes Reece, a cowboy, who is getting ready to go fight in the war.  He decides to help her out by marring her.  While he is gone she will get insurance and some money.  After the baby is born they will dissolve the marriage.  Their plans go bad when Cheyenne gets a visit and is told her husband was hurt in the war.  Cheyenne decides to go visit his parents to see how he is doing.  She finds out that he went blind from his accident.  She decides to stay around and with the help of Reece’s grandmother opens a beauty parlor.  Reece and Cheyenne seem to have feelings for each other, but both have reasons that they feel they cannot act on those feelings.  Will they stay together or go their separate ways after the baby is born.

I really enjoyed this story.  I feel in love with the characters.  The author really seems to bring them to life.  I liked how the author added blindness as a problem in the story.  We get to see what a person who goes blind really goes through to start living their life again. It seemed to me that God played a big part in both of their lives by putting them together before Reece lost his sight.  I enjoyed seeing them learn to love each other.

I only had one problem with the story and that might be because I have had experience with preeclamsia.  I wondered why after the doctor’s told Cheyenne she had high blood pressure she was still working as a hair stylist.  She talked about getting shoes that would fit and she continues to cut hair.  In one scene she even cuts Reece’s hair and gives him a shave.  I do not think many doctor’s would let her continue working in a job that she is on her feet most of the time while suffering from this.  Other than that I really loved the story.

There are more books in the series and I plan to check them out after reading this one.

I was given an advanced copy of the book through Net Galley and Love Inspired Books was not required to give a positive review

Holiday Hideout

This is the third Lynette Eason book I have read this year. I have loved all of them! So when I saw this book coming out this holiday season, I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed!

Abby Sullivan is running from her life. A few months before, she tried to deliever her sister's baby at home. They both died. Her brother-in-law Reece decides to blame Abby and probmises revenge. Abby gets scared of him and decides to run. While on the run she gets sick with what she thinks is strep and the flu. Deputy Cal McIvers catches Abby as she faints from the sickness. He decides to take her back to Rose Mountain to get her well and figure out what she means by the words she spoke before passing out, that someone was after her. The story has lots of twist and turns and the pages turn easliy!

Some positives: I fell in love with the characters! The author really brought them to life. This is a great story to read during a snow stom or the winter. Eason really keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as they try to figure out who did it. This was just a fun read! This story reminded me some of her book Zero Visability and even had snow mobiles in this on too. This is a really quick read. I was trying to read in the middle of getting ready for Christmas or it would have gone a lot faster for me. I probably could have read it in a day or so.

Some negatives: The only negative was that this book was that the autor tried to get the reader to believe the person after Abby was one person. I got really tired of hearing all the bad stuff about this person. I have found almost always in suspence novels that the one they are trying to pin it on is never the who did it person. So I knew all along that it was not that person, but trying to figure out who it was did not come until we meet some new characters later on in the book. Other than that I really did not find much wrong with the story.

I found this to be a fun read during the holidays! I will have to check out Eason's other two books about the Rose Mountain area soon. Check out Holiday Hideout on Amazon for Kindle.

A Hope Springs Christmas by Patricia Davids

I always enjoy the Brides of Amish County series books from Love Inspired. This time, A Hope Springs Christmas, introduces us to Sarah Wyse. She is a widow who has lost her job during the Christmas Season. She seems to always have losses during the holiday season. She lost her husband, parents and sister. Sarah believes because she loved them they were taken from her and she refuses to marry again for that reason. Levi lives close to her and has ran her husband's carriage shop since his death. Levi promises her husband he would look after Sarah until she found a husband. Levi's daughter, Grace is Sarah's best friend. She runs to Sarah when she wants to marry her beau but she feels she can't leave Levi (her brother) and their twin brothers who they have cared for since the death of their parents. Sarah tells Grace to go to her grandmother’s house for a visit and she would take care of her brother's while she was gone. Grace asked Sarah to play matchmaker for Levi while she is gone so when she gets back she will be able to leave Levi and the twins so she can get married. Will spending more time help Levi and Sarah to overcome their fears and realize that they love each other? You'll have to read A Hope Springs Christmas to find out.
I really enjoyed this book. Two people getting over their fears to trust God enough to find true love. I also loved the twins in this story. They are quit a mischievous bunch of kids. There was a little bit of a mention of Christmas in the book, but I really did not feel Christmas when reading this book. It could have been anytime during the winter season, except for the fact that we know Sarah has lots of losses during the Christmas season. I also enjoyed briefly meeting old characters in the story. At the end of the book, Patricia Davids gives hints as to who she might write about next in the series. I will be waiting for that next book as her reads always uplift me.
I recieved a copy of this Galley through Net Galley and Harlequin and was not required to give a positve review.

The Little Amish Matchmaker Review

I've never read anything by this author, but thought I'd give this book, A Little Amish Matchmaker, a try since it is Amish and Christmas. This book is about a boy who goes to a one room Amish school.  This boy notices his brother's interest in his school teach, Teacher Catherine. The young boy tries to play matchmaker, but his brother will not let him.  We learn a lot about the young boy as he gets ready with his class for the Christmas program thoughout the book.  Will he ever be able to get his brother and Teacher Catherine together?  Read The Little Amish Matchmaker to find out.
The things I liked best about this book were that the book was short and moved fast. I enjoyed the Christmas theme and snow in the book, it made me feel like I was in the middle of a snow storm. I also thought the ending was really sweet.
There were several things I did not like about this book.  First, the first half of the book took me forever to get into.  I felt like the author kept skipping from one thought to the next and sometimes it was hard to see where she was going.  This might have had to happen since the book was so short. I also wondered what kind of Amish this book was referring to because I thought most Amish women wore dull colored dresses and did not wear red.  In this story we see Teacher Catherine wearing red for the Christmas program.  Maybe it was a dull red but this just stood out and made me wonder. 
I thought this book was okay.  The ending was sweet and it was a quick read.  I really just met the characters and the story was over. 
I was given this advance copy through Netgalley and was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one.

Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman

Almost Amish is a book that takes family, in this case a cookbook writer and her sister-in-law and their teen aged children, and follows their experience on a reality show.  The reality show takes the faced paced family to a rural setting and sees how they can live almost like the Amish for a summer.  The kids seem to have a hard time dealing with the changes especially no cell phones, computers, etc.  The family seems to get used to it and each learns a little something new about themselves.  The character of Susan really seemed to get on my nerves.  Susan was the perfect mom and she killed herself trying to do it.  Her sister in law Julie seemed to be someone I could more identify with in the book.  Julie was trying to find her talent in life.  I love how the book tried to teach that everyone has a talent. 
Overall I really liked this book.  I also enjoyed the romances within the story. 

Zero Visibility by Sharon Dunn

This is my first book by Sharon Dunn and I must say I was really impressed!  This is also my second Love Inspired Suspense and I have to say both were wonderful!  I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author and more Love Inspired Suspense. 

 

In Zero Visibility, Merci Carlson wants to go visit her aunt over her college spring break and decides to accept a ride with Lorelei, a girl she knew from a class she took.  Merci thought she was nice to offer her a ride home.  As they are on their way, they decide to take a short cut.  On the mountain a bad winter storm has made the roads icy.  The car goes off the road and they cannot start it.  Two men come to help them.  But Merci learns they are really robbing them.  Nathan has come back to take care of some things after his parents' deaths.  He is out on his snowmobile when he sees the girls in trouble.  He rescues them and takes them back to his parents’ cabin. The robbers come back and take Lorelei hostage.  Nathan and Merci decide to go after her.  They go out the old camp that Nathan’s parents ran.  They continue to fight the robbers and try to get off the mountain for help.  There are lots of twists and turns in the book and a lot happens in a couple of days.  Can you fall in love with someone that you have only known a couple of days?  Can you fall in love with someone that you have gone though a frightening event with?   Read to find out if Merci and Nathan can find love.

 

At first I thought the title had something to do with the weather, but after reading, I so learned that it had a deeper meaning.  I think it meant more about how we see other people.  Sometimes our impressions of someone are so different than who they are.  I really think that you have to rely on the spirit to help you know how people really are.  There were several instances in the book where characters got the feeling this person or that was so different than they thought.  Sometimes the characters listened to the spirit but a lot of times they did not. 

This is a fast paced story.  A lot happens in a couple of days and you really get drawn into the story.  I thought at times that the author made you feel like you were right there and you could really image where the characters were.  The setting for the story was really interesting too. 

I really think this book would have been a fun read on a snow day.  It is interesting to me that it comes out in July when it is so hot.  Really enjoyed this book!

 

This book was provided by Netgalley and Harlequin.  I was given a galley of the book for review but was not required to give a positive review.

Wooing the Schoolmarm by Dorothy Clark

This is my first book by Dorothy Clark and I really enjoyed it. This book caught my eye because I love historical fiction about schoolmarms. This book is about Willa a woman whose father left her and her mother to fend for themselves. Willa has experienced heartbreak as days before her fiancé runs off. Willa decides that she will be single and teach and then help her mom with the laundry she does so they can stay in the cabin they live in. A new preacher comes to town with his brother's children that he is raising. Willa meets him as he brings the kids to school and you can tell from the beginning they really like each other. Willa's best friend decides she is going to marry him and tells Willa she is her intended. Willa's ex-fiancé also comes back and that also causes some trouble. Will Willa and the preacher find love? Read to find out.

I enjoyed this book and plan to read more in the series. I really enjoyed the town and the characters. There were a couple of things I would have liked better. First I love reading schoolmarm books but not much took place in the schoolhouse and that is what I like so much about those types of books. I also felt like the book dragged a few places and I got so annoyed at the characters for not seeing the truth and Willa and the preacher getting together. Other than that I still really liked the book.

I received a galley from Netgalley and Harlequin in return for this review. I was not required to give a positive review.

Missing

Lynette Easton writes the books I love.  Fast paced, action pact, who done it kind of book! This is the second book I have read by her and can not wait to read more!  When Lacey finds her daughter missing, she goes to the one person who she knows will help find her. The only problem is she has a secret that she has kept from him.  Will he still help her after learning this secret and will she ever be able to prove to him that she did not betray him?  The story goes through lots of twist and turns and finally the person I thought for sure had done it, did not! 
Wonderful story.  I have found that I really like this author!  Read this book for a Christian Fiction read through the Amish Fiction group on Goodreads.  Don't "miss" Missing for a great read.

The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

The Wonder of Your Love is the second book in Beth Wiseman’s Land of Canaan Series. I fell in love with Beth’s first series that a lot of the characters come from.  I really liked Katie Ann in the first book of this series and felt sorry for her.  Her husband left her for an English woman.  Katie Ann discovers she is pregnant in the first book and now she has a son.  Her husband is killed and Katie Ann knows he was her true love and believes no one else will ever be for her.  An older English lady in the community has sort of adopted Katie Ann and spends a lot of time with her and helps Katie Ann out. 

Eli Detweiler comes to Canaan to attend his nieces wedding.  He lives in Ohio with his kids.  He raised them after his wife died and they are all older now and married.  So he is ready to experience life doing what he wants.  So when he meets Katie Ann he was never thinking about looking for anyone, but Katie Ann’s elderly friend plays matchmaker.  Katie Ann’s friend wants Katie Ann to din someone to take care of her and her son because her elderly friend knows that she will not be around forever.  The couple seem to like each other, but could they make it work?  Could Katie Ann let someone else in her life after all her first husband did to her?  Would Eli be able to leave his family in Ohio to be with Katie Ann?  So many things come into play in this book.  Read it to find out. 

I really enjoyed this book.  I have wanted to learn more of Katie Ann’s story since I last left Canaan.  I also enjoyed learning more about Katie Ann’s husband’s English woman who he left Katie Ann to be with. I loved learning how Katie Ann had to learn to forgive this woman, Lucy.  There was just so much love in this book.  You left it with a warm loving feeling!   I can’t wait for the next in the series!

I was given an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and Thomas Nelson.  I was not required to give a positive review only an honest one.

A Life of Joy by Amy Clipston

A Life of Joy is the fourth book in Amy Clipston’s Kauffman’s Amish Bakery series.  I had been awaiting this book for awhile now.  This book focused on Lindsey Bedford.  Lindsey and her sister Jessica came to live with her Amish Aunt and Uncle after her parents die.  Lindsey decided to stay with her Aunt and Uncle and live Amish while Jessica went back to live with her parent’s best friends who were English like her parents.  Lindsey had been living among the Amish for 4 years now.  Lindsey’s friends start talking about taking classes in preparation to join the Amish church.  Lindsey does not feel ready to join yet.  Lindsey’s sister Jessica comes flying into town to tell them she is taking a big internship in New York and wants Lindsey to go with her. Jessica also is always onto Lindsey about taking her GED test.  Lindsey ends up having to go to help her parent’s friends that Jessica was living with before going to New York.  Her Aunt Trish as they call her has broken her leg and Lindsey must go and help her.  Will Lindsey be able to hold onto her Amish beliefs and customs while living with them or will she decides she wants to come back to the English world?  Lindsey goes on a discovery for what she wants out of life.

As with all these books I really enjoyed this one.  A lot of this book took place in the English world, so I missed all the Amish bakery scenes as in the previous books.  Even though I missed those bakery moments, I was really glad to get to go on this self discovery journey with Lindsey.  I think she really grows up and finds herself throughout this book.  It was a great chance to catch up with these characters and know what was going on with them.  I really liked how Rebecca allowed Lindsey to make the decision that she knew would be one of the biggest decisions of her life.  While Aunt Trish tried to allow her to make her own decisions, I felt like she also tried to push her into the English world as did her sister.  I am looking forward to learning more about Jessica and her relationship with Jake.  I’m hoping that will be the next book will be more about that, but we shall see.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and  Zondervan.  I was not required to give a positive review only an honest one.

An Amish Family Reunion

An Amish Family Reunion by Mary Ellis is an e-book I reviewed through NetGalley.  I am not required to give a positve review, just an honest one.

This book started out really hard for me.  I think the main reason was because I have not read her other books.  I had to struggle to remember who the characters were, and there were a lot of them.  I think the author had to do this because they were all being invited to a reunion and we get to see in their lives before they come to the reunion.  The characters quickly grew on me and I really enjoyed this book.  By the end of the book, I know I needed to check out Ellis' Miller Family series.  This book has a lot of things to deal with a death, a near death, an unexpected pregnancy, a Rumspringa trip, a break up, a couple struggling to get along, Amish writting a book and much more.  I think my favorite parts of the book were the Rumpsringa trip to Niagra Falls and when the Amish write a book.  These were topics that I have not seen in other Amish fiction books that I have read.

I'm really glad I got the opportunity to read this book.  It was a really fun read once I gt all the characters figured out. This book is available on February 1, 2012.

Promise Me

I love reading Richard Paul Evans' new Christmas book each year. So when I found Promise Me at my library I quickly checked it out, even though it was from last year.  Promise Me is a story about a woman named Beth.  Beth tells the story if her life especially the loves of her life.  After the death of her second husband she meet Matthew, who changes her life forever.  Her and Matthew keep a secret.  Beth has had to keep that secret for eighteen years.  She has a 6 year old daughter, Charlotte, who is sick with an unidetifiable disease and after losing her first husband has a lot of issues with trust and love until she meets Matthew, only she can't fall in love with Matthew.  So, how will Matthew end up helping her.  You'll have to read to find out.
This Christmas story was really different than Evans' other Christmas books.  First, the story just seems too unreal.  Second, much of the book has nothing to do with Christmas.  Even with those two negatives, I really enjoyed this book.  I really like Evans' writing style.  the chapters are short, the pages turn fast and you feel like you are part of the characters lives.  While this is not one of my most favorites of Evans.  I still enjoyed it.
  

Spring for Susannah

Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond is the story of Susannah Underhill who becomes a mail order bride after the death of her parents and a banker who attacks her to try to colect money that he says her parent's owed. Susannah is sent to the Dakota's to marry a man named Jesse who is the brother of the pastor who's family has taken her in after the death of her parents. Susannah gets married with a proxy standing in for Jesse before she gets to the Dakotas. Sussannah starts out as a shy girl who does not seem to know a lot about life except for the rules her mother taught her about being a lady. Many of those rules do not apply to Susannah's new life.As the book progresses Susannah seems to gain some self confidence and is more sure of herself. Will she be able to deal with the loneliness the new land offers to her and will she be able to learn to really love and trust Jesse.

I really liked this story. Prairie type stories have been a favorite of mine. I also seem to enjoy stories with a mail order bride theme after reading quite a few this year. The author really made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I think these early pioneers heading west really had to have faith as there were very few pastors in the area during the time and life was hard. This book really flew by for me.

I was given a copy of the book through Net Galley and Thomas Neilson.       

Falling to Pieces: A Quilt Shop Mystery (Shipshewana Amish Mystery)

For years all I read were cozy mysteries until I got into the Amish fiction genre. Falling to Pieces written by Vanetta Chapman beings both reading styles to me. I love that we were trying to fiqure out who did it while still getting the Amish feel too.

Falling to Pieces: A Quilt Shop Murder is the first book in Chapman's Shipshewana Amish Mystery series. The story starts out with Callie Harper comes to Shipshewana after inheriting her Aunt Daisy's Quilt shop. She plans to come and sell it. After meeting with someone about selling the store, she learns that she will make more money on the property if it is a running store. So, she decides to keep the store open and keeps her aunt's promise to help three Amish women sell there quilts. Deborah Yoder, one of the quilt makers, becomes friends with Callie and ask her to sell the quilts on e-bay to help them make more money on the quilts. Callie agrees and everything seems to be going well until the newspaper editor writes and artile saying Callie is taking advantage of the Amish by selling the quilts on e-bay. Callie tries to get the editor to listen to her when she ends up finding him dead. Callie becomes the number one suspect in the murder. The murder ends up breaking into other business in town. Deborah and Callie decide to do some detective work to prove Callie was not the murder. Will they ever find the murder or will Callie take the heat?

I really loved this story. It was so neat getting to know the characters. I really did not want to leave Shipshewana. I wanted to know so much more after reading the story, so I'm sure I will be reading the other books in this series. This is a hard book to put down and a very easy fun read.

I was able to read this book thanks to Zondervan publishing and Net Galley. I was not required to give a postive review but an honest one.        

Christmas Mail Order Brides

 Mrs. Mayberry's Matrimonial Society for Christians with Moral Character helps three unmarried women find husbands.  Each unmarried woman becomes a mail order bride and travels the Transcontiental Railroad to meet their grooms.  Each run into problems along the way.  The last story is about Mrs. Mayberry meeting her match.

The first story was A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky. Annika Berstrom has lived with her twin sister since her parents deaths.  When her sister decides to get married she decides to become a mail order bride.  She travels to Wyoming to meet her groom, Chase Simms, who has dissappeared when she gets there.  Annika is left with Chase's father, daughter, and brother.  She learns to trust Chases's brother and actually starts to fall in love with him.  What will she do when Chase returns?  Will her heart still be open for Chase?

The second story was The Prodigal Groom by Vickie McDonough.  Jolie Addams was raised in an orphanage after her mother dies and her father does not want her.  She is forced to become a mail order bride after the orphanage tries to make her leave because she is too old to be in the orphanage and wants her to work for a mean man.  As she goes to Nevada to meet her new groom, the stage coach is robbed and she is force to spend the night with Clay Jackson who is shot during the robbery.  When she gets to her groom he decides he can't marry her because of the situation.  Clay decides to marry her and take her home to meet his family that he has been estranged with.  Will they be able to make their fake marriage work?

The third story was Hidden Hearts by Therese Stenzel.  Elizabeth Larby becomes a mail order bride after her fiance breaks up with her and her aunt writes to Mrs' Mayberry's Mail Order Service.  Elizabeth goes even though she still has feelings for her ex.  She ends up marrying Zane Micheals.  Both come to the mariiage with secrets will they survive when all the secrets come out?

The fourth story was Mrs. Mayberry Meets Her Match by Susan Page Davis. Amelia Mayberry is finally ready to retire from the match making service.  She has a nice home of her dreams and enough money to live in peace.  Amelia decides to find a match for one groom who's match went wrong.  She travels tp California to try to get Lennox Bailey to let her try again so she can retire with no worries over the business. Can she make a match for Lennox this holiday season or will she go home to retire?
I really enjoyed every story in this collection.  I think the second one was my favorite though.  The stories can easily be read in one sitting and are a great way to get in the Holiday spirit.

Christmas Mail Order Brides is available on Amazon.

A Log Cabin Christmas

A Log Cabin Christmas is a collection of 9 short historical stories that all have to do with finding love during Christmas time. Each story has a log cabin in it, whether it’s a school, church, store, or home. All of the stories were heartwarming and sweet. Each story can be read in one sitting. I enjoyed all of the stories, but my favorites were; The Christmas Secret and The Courting Quilt. Here is a recap of each story.
The first story was Snow Angels by Margret Brownley set in Texas in 1885. This short story is about Maddie Parker who is the new school teacher from Boston. Most of the families do not like her and the sheriff does not either. One evening as the kids are staying to practice for the Christmas program a snow storm suddenly leaves them stranded in the old cabin being used for a school. The sheriff goes out to find them and ends up getting stranded with them. What will happen to the teacher, sheriff, and the three students who are trapped at the school? Will the sheriff get over his bad feelings toward the new teacher?
The second story was The Christmas Secret by Wanda Brunstetter is set in Pennsylvania in 1880. Elizabeth and David are planning to get married and live in the cabin where her parents first lived together. One day Elizabeth is cleaning the cabin in preparation for wedding and finds an old journal. The journal contains a secret about her deceased mother that could destroy her future.
The third story was Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake. Mina Montrose travels with her nurse Belinda to Kentucky to find her guardian Sam Carver. She is running to prevent being forced into marrying her cousin. When she gets to Sam’s cabin they experience an earthquake that will shake up a lot of things. This story was really interesting because it is set in the state which I love and gave some history about the earthquake.
The fourth story was A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson. This story is set in Tennessee. Cora Sinclair finds a Yankee soldier in the snow on her way home one night and takes him home to her log cabin to care for him. The soldier Jed stays with Cora and her grandfather. Jed and Cora fight the feelings they have for each other because they both know he will have to go back and fight the war. Will they ever be able to love each other?
The fifth story was the Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick and is set in Oregon in 1867. Mary Bishop runs a store in a log cabin built by her and her deceased husband. She has been praying for a long time for an answer to her problems of not making enough money with the store due to more modern stores coming in the area and taking her business. When a salesman comes to sale his thread, Mary sees him as the answer to her prayers and they start a business together. Richard takes a cart around the area to sale Mary’s goods to the ladies who do not get out much. All the ladies start falling in love with Richard and compete to be his bride. Mary is starting to fall in love with him too, but will her white hair make him think she is older than she really is? Everything comes out at the church bazaar. Will any of the ladies get him?
The sixth story was Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma and takes place in Wisconsin in 1885. Adie O’Connell’s farther dies in a logging accident at a work camp. Adie is left alone. Adie’s father asks Noah to take care of her if anything should happen to him. Adie feels like she does not need protecting. Can Noah convince her that she does?
The seventh story was Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule and is set in Texas in 1836. Molly and her brother James are building a dogtrot cabin on a new claim. James lost his wife and Molly has cared for James and his son. James and Molly are worried when they find out that the claim they bought was never sold by the original owner. Will they lose their land? Will Molly and James find happiness in this new land? I liked the Mexican culture that was woven in this story.
The eighth story was A Grand Country Christmas by Debra Ullrich. Awyna lives alone after her father is found dead and something or someone steal all of her meat stored. She is forced to go out in the winter storm and hunt for food. She finds a deer but Amadeus Josef stops her from shooting it saying the deer is his pet. He promises to take her in from the storm and feed her. She goes and stays with him, his mother and his children during the storm. Awnya tries to help the family deal with the loss of their mother especially Amadeus’ older daughter. When Awnya finally goes home, she finds everything is stolen that she possesses. Amadeus takes her home. Can they ever be a family?
The ninth story was Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch. Beth Sorenson wants nothing more than to be a preacher’s wife. So what will she do when Todd Rambec comes wanting to court her and him a mere blacksmith? The two work on the church Christmas program together where Beth learns many things thanks to Todd. Will Beth ever be able to accept Todd as a courting partner or will her desire to be a preacher’s wife win out?
I received an e-copy of this book from Barbour through Net Galley. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.

The Nanny's Homecoming- July Love Inspired

I wrote a review on The Nanny's Homecoming, a July Love Inspired book , by Linda Goodnight.  It is posted over at Busy Mommy Media, go check it out. While there check out the other great articles on the site.

Second Chance Bride by Jane Myers Perrine

Second Chance Bride written by Jane Myers Perrine is the first Love Inspired Historical that I have read.   The Love Inspired books have always caught my eye and I’ve had this book for awhile on my to read list.  I’m so glad I finally read it!  This Love Inspired Historical takes place in the 1880’s. The story is about Annie MacAllister who is going to Trails End to leave her old life behind.  We learn that Annie had a very hard life.  Her father beat her when she did not make enough money, she slept outside a lot, and after her mother dies she is forced to get a job in a brothel as a prostitute.  After her father dies and the house is sold to pay for debts, and she decides it is time for her to start over.  With little money to her name, she takes the stage to Trail’s End.  Along the journey, she meets Matilda Susan Cunningham.  Matilda is very nice to Annie.  Annie learns she is on her way to meet her new employer and that she has no living relatives.  On the way there, the stage loses a wheel and they have a serious accident.  Matilda is killed and Annie is bruised up.  Annie decides to tell the stage coach driver that the dead person is her and she assumes Matilda’s identity.  When she finally gets to Trail’s End she meets Matilda’s employer, John Matthew Sullivan who is the school board chairman.  Annie learns Matilda was going to be the new school teacher.  She wonders how she will do the job since she is can't read or write.  Annie has never had a warm place to sleep and plenty of food and she does here, so she decides she will learn to read and write and will teach the children as she learns.  She ends up doing a good job and just when she thinks she is in the free, one of Matilda’s friend’s writes her a letter, an old brothel customer spots her, she finds the Lord in her life and does not want to sin anymore, and then John falls in love with her.  How will she pull it all off and still get to be Matilda Susan Cunningham?  Will she find true love like she has never experienced?  Will she finally get a second chance?  You will have to read to find out. 
I thought the story sounded kind of crazy and that Annie would never get away with assuming someone else’s identity.  The story really got me interested from Chapter one, and I found myself wanting everything to work out for Annie.  I felt like she deserved it!  This is such a feel good story that includes love and overcoming the worst of things.  I love the fact that the book looked at overcoming things, like sin, by asking for forgiveness from a loving God and recieving it because Jesus Christ died so our sins could be forgiven.   Annie and John both learn a lot about forgiveness in the book.  I really like the book and the love story and recommend it to people who love romances, historical fiction, and inspirational fiction.  If you don’t like a lot of inspiration in the books you read, this book is probably not for you. for some reason, I have stayed away from Love Inspired books because I thought they were like Harlequin romance novels, which I don't really care for at all, but this story was so great, I will have to give them another chance!