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.

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.
  

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.

Review: The Christmas Basket

It's that time of year that I enjoy reading holiday related novels. When I went to the library to pick some up, the library worker recommended this one- The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber. I have read several Macomber books and decided to give this one a try. The story starts out with a sister coming home for the Christmas holiday and to help plan her sister's wedding. The sister, Noelle, has not been home for 10 years because the man she planned to marry never met her to elope one night. The mother's of these two have also been fighting for 10 years. They end up working on a service project of making Christmas Baskets, not willingly though. Will the mother's ever become friend's? Will Noelle and Thom ever get back together? You have to read the book to find out. I really enjoyed the book. It was a light read. I read it in a weekend. The book made me want to go out and make a basket for a needy family.