A Scent of Lilacs by Ann H. Gabhart

This side of Ann H. Gabhart's writing is new to me.  I have been used to reading her books based on the Shakers.  This was a delight to read.  I must say that the cover on this book is absolutely gorgeous.  I loved the shading of the girl on the steps and the beautiful eye-catching purple lilacs that grab your attention and emphasis the title of the book. It looks very modern and simply beautiful.

This book is full of very relatable lessons, such as the importance of forgiving and how devestating lies can be.  Even though the truth can heart and leave you quite vulnerable feeling, the truth is always the best.  I hated to see her learn the truth and deal with the pain and wrestle with forgiveness, but I feel like that's what we all relate to.  Life isn't tied up in a neat and tidy bow by the end of our lives.  Sometimes our lives are messy right up until our death.  

I appreciate that Gabhart wrote with such honesty and truth and dealt with the messes instead of writing them away real quickly.  I like how she put some humor into the story at just the right moments to help you, as the reader, deal with some of the hard truths you were finding out about Jocie and her family.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Words Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart

I'm a new reader to Ann Gabhart's books.  The last one I reviewed was a book on the Shakers and it was really good.  When I saw this one able to be reviewed, I was anxious to read it because I saw that it looked so different from the last one I had read from her.  I like it when authors can write in different ways that are so completely different from each other.  Mrs. Gabhart did a wonderful job in this book.  I was hooked from the very beginning and stayed up way too late last night reading because I just couldn't tear myself away from it.  It had a very unlikely villain, a heart-breaking marriage setup, and some decisions that led to life-changing circumstances. 

Adriane Darcy is not the proper girl but for some reason a proper man, Stanley Jimson, has his eyes set on her and wants to marry her.  However, the new rival editor, Blake Garrett,  at a competing newspaper has also noticed Adriane's beauty but has also noticed something else about her promised beau.  Determined for Adriane to not make a mistake she will regret despite the consequences, Blake has to first get Adriane to actually talk to him!  Headstrong Adraine who doesn't shy away from saying what she really thinks can give any man a run for his money.  But will she succeed when it becomes a life or death issue?  Will Adriane realize that sometimes happiness is better than convenience?  Can she break a promise despite the deadly consequences?

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group.