A Bride for All Seasons by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher

I really enjoyed reading the love connections that Melvin Hitchcock took it upon himself to orchestrate.  As owner of the Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogue, Melvin received letters from both men and women who were looking for a spouse.  Some had kids, some were heartbroken as soon as they arrived and saw their spouse, some thought they were dying, and others wanted a woman who had no interest in God.

 

Each novella takes on a different season and different characters for their stories.  But they all have one thing in common....Mr. Hitchcock.  He tends to leave some of the most important information out of his letters that he writes to those intended for each other.  However, in each case, he turns out to be right about the match that he had made by only reading letters.

 

Each author flowed seamlessly from one story to the next.  As I read the 4 stories, I never felt like I was reading 4 completely different authors.  I was quite impressed!  Instead, I felt like I was reading one continuous story that had major sections in the book.  That's quite a feat to pull off when you're talking about 4 different authors, each with their own writing style.  I liked each mail-order bride and particularly liked the mules in the story.  I laughed at Prudy and all of the scenes that she was in.  And then I liked Old Blue and imaging Megan trying to ride him. 

 

I hope all 4 authors can come together and write more stories together.  Their interview in the back of the book was fun to read, too.  I felt like I was listening in on their conversations! 

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

 

Grounded by Neta and Dave Jackson

Neta Jackson has been one of my favorite authors that I have read every book by Neta Jackson since her Yada Yada Prayer Group series.  I had a hard time saying goodbye to those characters in that series.  I've been so glad to see familiar names pop up in each of her different series that she has written since then.  In this case, it's the Bentley's.

 

The style of this book is written almost in the same style of the Yada Yada books, which is why I think I like it so much.  It has a lot of characters and the story tells you all about them in different points of view.  It was a book that I put off reading some because I knew that when I did, I would want to read the next book right away.  I couldn't, of course, because it's not out but I am definitely anxious to get my hands on it now!  I just have to wait until the parallel novel, Derailed, comes out in the fall.

 

Grace is a contemporary Christian music artist who also has a past.  She's had some tough times and I afraid of speaking about them.  This is where the Bentley's come in...as neighbors to Grace.  They love Grace and guide her and cover her with their prayers.  Ah...the Bentley's.  They are like the familiar face in a crowd.  I instantly reconnected with this family as they are now investing themselves in new lives.  They help Grace comes to terms with her past and not just stop there, but to continue on living without fear.  I want a neighbor like them!

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I received this book free from CFBA and Worthy Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quarryman's Bride by Tracie Peterson

I have really enjoyed this series, Land of Shining Water, by Tracie Peterson.  I like how Tracie Peterson can take those tough and difficult circumstances and still show that God is worthy of being trusted.  The opening pages don't sugarcoat the circumstances that Emmalyne Knox finds herself in.  It was a little uncomfortable to read because your heart goes out to Emmalyne, but I'm glad that abuse was covered in this book.

 

Tavin and Emmalyne want to marry and plan to until God's plans intervene.  Years go by and they meet each other again.  Their love blooms, but before they can join in marriage, issues need to be discussed.  Both of them have had some traumatic experiences and different responsibilities that mean that they have to put their happiness on hold to please others.

 

Tracie Peterson has always been one of my top authors to read.  She is able to tell weave different stories together to show readers that God has a plan for each person and that He is still in control, even if we can never understand.  I'm looking forward to reading book 3 in September.

 

To read more reviews on this book, go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/tpeterson.

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers and Lituse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Healing Hearts by Hisashi Nikaidoh, MD

I have found a book that I can now give to those who have experienced the loss of a child.  I know that at just the time the person is ready, they will come to love this book as it walks them through grief.

 

I didn't realize that Dr. Nikaidoh had lost a child.  I didn't read the summary of the book because I was interested from the cover.  That makes this book even better because it's a personal journey, but it also involves many other mothers.  It tugged at my heart because it talks of the mothers who have lost their children and how they helped guide Dr. Nikaidoh through grief. 

 

I found myself with tears in my eyes as I read some personal accounts of those who contributed to the book.  I know that losing a child is a mother's worst nightmare.  As a mom, I can't even fathom my child being taken from me, although I know it can happen at any minute.

 

It was also neat to get an inside look into the life of a pediatric heart surgeon and all that he does to prepare for a surgery and how it affects him, too.

 

This book is staying on my bookshelf, but copies of it will definitely be passed out and recommended. 

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I received this book from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

 

 

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

Who seriously can't enjoy a good novel that is set in the west?!  I'm a sucker for those settings for some reason.  I love going back in time to see how they roughed it and learned to live with outlaws and so much more.

Karen Witemeyer is an author that I will be reading every single book by from now on.  They are light-hearted books and in some ways, they remind me of Janette Oke's Wild West series.  Those don't have as much humor, but they still left me with the feeling that I wanted to read them over and over again.  She adds so much reality to her stories through her characters.  Even the situations are very real.  I appreciated one situation, which I won't spoil it for you, but that I think many people end up finding themselves in.  I liked how she showed the temptations and the solutions.

Another thing that I like about Karen is all of the intricate characters she puts in her books.  I learn so much about even the minor characters.  I feel like I have a connection with whoever has come across the pages, which helps me connect the dots later when I see that name come up. 

I'm a huge Karen Witemeyer fan and can't wait to see what's next.  I know I'll be sure to get it!
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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Love Stays True by Martha Rogers

I think it's neat how three different authors that I have read back to back have all hit on the same time period and they have all been from completely different publishers.  I have really enjoyed reading the books about this time frame because I really haven't read much about it, except what you learn in school.  Martha Rogers is no exception to the other two authors in the previous posts.  She has done her research and has done an excellent job of telling the story between the North and the South.

With technology today, it's hard to imagine that time when you couldn't pick up a phone and let someone know that you were safe or coming home.  I would be a wreck if I had to watch every day for my spouse, just wondering if he was coming home or not.  I hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about that, but I have now that I've finished this book.  That's what keeps coming back to me!  Sallie is waiting to see if the love of her life is going to return or not.  Manfred just got released and is making his way back to Sallie to proclaim his love and see if she feels the same way.  However, it's a long journey.  (Another thing I hadn't stopped to think about until now.)

Rogers writes a beautiful story of forgiveness, hope, and true love.  It's not an over the top romance book, but she pulls the reader in and it feels like your heart is the one watching for your loved one to return.  There were some times where I felt like perhaps the war might have really caused more damage to people than what Rogers wrote about, but that is just my opinion.  Needless to say, I'm quite thankful I didn't have to live during that time!

The cover of the book isn't necessarily eye-catching to me.  It was a bit to crowded.  The picture of the house at the top was beautiful, though.  Perhaps it just needed to have that on the cover and not a bunch of other things.

I have read several books by Rogers and each book gets better. I'm excited to read more by her in her second book in this series, Homeward Journey.

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I received this book free from Realm Publishers and Booketeria in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning. I was pulled in and couldn't stop reading this book despite the many things I had on my to-do list today.  I was quite shocked by that because I honestly did not expect this book to be one that was hard to put down.  Sometimes the historical fiction books can be boring, but not this one!

I can't quite pin point what I liked about this book exactly.  I think part of it is that it was inspired by first-person accounts.  I can't imagine the amount of time and research this book took, but what a wonderful idea for a fiction book.  I learned so much about the town of Gettysburg, which I knew nothing about except for the war.  It was fun for me to learn some new facts, but also to get a glimpse through the eyes of the women left behind.  I'm not so sure I would have been as brave as Liberty and Bella.  I am almost positive that I would have packed up and moved on somewhere.  I liked the relationship between Liberty and Bella because it crossed racial divides and brought two women from different classes together.

 I immediately liked Liberty.  Silas puzzled me at first because I wasn't for sure how he knew Liberty.  (I'm not going to tell you because that's part of the fun of this book!) 

I haven't read anything by Jocelyn Green, but was impressed by her writing and her book ideas. Knowing that this is the second book in her Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War series, I now want to read the first book in this series and I'm anxious for her to come out with her next book in the series.  I love books that surprise me!

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I received this book free from River North Publishers, a part of Moody Publishers, and CFBA in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.