Love in the Balance: an Engaging Historical

Love in the Balance is a tale of star-crossed love...a tale where it seems the hero and heroine can absolutely never get together. There are so many rich layers, that it created a story that kept calling me back. There was nothing simple or easy about the journey or the resolution. And the twists kept me longing to return to the pages -- that's not easy to do with a book that is pretty much straight historical romance.

The characters started a wee bit flat, but became richer and more complex as the story developed. While it's the second in the series, it stands completely on its own. A very good thing, since I hadn't read the first book (though I want to.). The hero is a lay preacher of sorts, and a couple scenes with a couple that had experienced a miscarriage were very touching. As someone who's lived that journey, I appreciated the sensitive treatment of an unseen pain. This book also ends with one of the most beautiful scenes of redemption and healing that I have ever read. It was wonderful!

A book that lovers of historical romance will enjoy...and maybe find themselves challenged by the spiritual journey and questions that fill the pages.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Handsome Cowboy or Debonair Tycoon.
How’s a Girl to Choose?

Molly Lovelace dreams of a life without cares in Lockhart, Texas. She also dreams of handsome wrangler Bailey Garner, her ardent but inconsistent beau. The problem is, with Bailey’s poor prospects, she just can’t fit the two dreams together.

Then mysterious stranger Edward Pierrepont sweeps into town–and her life–and for the first time Molly wonders if she’s met the man who can give her everything. But he won’t be in Lockhart long and while it certainly seems like he talks about their glorious future together, she can’t quite get Bailey out of her mind.

What’s a girl to do with all these decisions when love is in the balance?

Purchase a copy here.

Read an excerpt here.

Swept Away from Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy is one of my favorite authors. She's from Nebraska which is enough on it's own to make her someone I enjoy. Then she writes with such humor that I spend most of the time I'm reading laughing. And she fills her books with  a rich spiritual thread. Many of them I still ponder months and years later.

With deadlines, I haven't had time to read this book yet, but it is next on my TBR pile. And I know when I start it, I'll be swept away in a story that transports me to the 1880s and characters that I love.

ABOUT THE BOOk

When a cowboy focused on revenge encounters a woman determined to distract him, there’s going to be trouble in Texas!

Swept away when her wagon train

Grave Consequences: Sweeping Gilded Age Tale

Grave Consequences is a book that will sweep you into the world of the uber-rich during the Gilded Age. I felt like I became the silent member of a group of Americans on their Grand Tour of Europe. The book is a sweeping continuation of the series and one that left me dying for the next installment...enough so I've been tempted to drive to Colorado and beg the author for an early copy.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Powerful, Epic Romance Continues, Book 2 in Lisa T. Begren’s Grand Tour series

For Cora Kensington, the journey of a lifetime takes unexpected twists. And her future—her very life—depends on the decisions she’ll make at each crossroad. As her European tour with her newfound family takes her through Austria, France,

Safe In His Arms by Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble's latest book, Safe In His Arms, is a historical set in Texas. Maggie O'Brien doesn't fit anyone's image of what a woman should be. Yet Daniel Cutler thinks she's beautiful, something she just can't accept --especially when she's convinced he's a bank thief. This historical romance and mystery winds around the deep truth that God loves us unconditionally, a truth that can transform our lives if we let it.

This book has Coble's trade-mark characterization and a setting that can't be removed from the book without removing a key element of the book. I found myself sucked into the pages -- in a good way!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sometimes it takes a stranger to see you as you really are.

Under Texas Stars, Book 2

Born and raised on sprawling Texas land, Margaret O’Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. But her father believes she’s made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to raise children, to build a life. But Margaret gave up such dreams years ago. She’s convinced no man would have her, that the ranch is her life now.

So when Margaret’s father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she’s frustrated and suspicious. Then an overheard conversation links him with a gang of bank robbers, and she’s downright worried. Daniel swears he’s not involved, but Margaret’s not convinced. She knows the man still has secrets. But would a criminal be so kind and talk so convincingly of his faith? As a series of tragic “accidents” threatens all she holds dear, Margaret must decide what to trust: her own ears, her best judgment . . . or what her heart keeps telling her.

Purchase a copy here.

Learn more about Book 1, Blue Moon Promise here.

Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

All for a Song by Allison Pittman

Allison Pittman is an award winning author of numerous books, all historical, and all set during different time periods. I first got to know her when we both attended a writer's retreat, and she offered to pick me up at the airport. We had a great time getting to know each other, and from our conversations, I couldn't wait to read one of her books.

All for a Song is set during the Roaring Twenties, when a small-town southern girl finds herself tempted as she travels with Aimee Semple McPherson. She's never left her small spot on the map, and as the world opens up for her, she has to decide what role her faith plays in her life. She's always done what's expected of her, and now as her wedding is barreling down on her, she wonders if she'll ever get to live.

This story is beautifully written in a way that drew me deep into its pages. The characters are rich and varied, and I felt transported to a time period I don't know much about, but enjoyed visiting. If you have never read one of Allison's books, please allow yourself a treat and settle in for a read that will leave your mind satisfied and your soul touched.

Review: Escape back to Smitten with Secretly Smitten

Secretly Smitten is written by four of my writing friends. If you've followed my blog at all you know I thoroughly enjoy Colleen Coble's romantic mysteries and I adore Denise Hunter's contemporary romances. With the Smitten novella collections these two authors pair with Diann Hunt and Kristin Billerbeck: both are brilliant, funny writers. 

With Secretly Smitten, these authors have returned to Smitten, their created town in Vermont. The town is still trying to find ways to stay alive. And four young women are on their way to find romance. These novellas tie together with those in Smitten, the other collection. You can also read this collection on its own. I love how real the characters are and the way I want to join them at Mountain Perks for a good conversation and update on their romantic adventures. The stories tie together and bring back characters I came to love in the first collection. Because there are four novellas in this book, each can be read in a long sitting and it's the perfect book to take along on a spring break trip. Easy to put down when you need to do something else, but also engaging enough, you'll want to return often to this delightful town. Here's more:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Summer, fall, winter, spring—Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery!

There’s a secret in Grandma Rose’s attic—a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose’s three granddaughters—Tess, Clare, and Zoe—and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?

Join popular romance novelists—and real-life BFFs—Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

Purchase a copy here

RITA-finalist Colleen Coble is the author of several best-selling romantic suspense novels, including "Tidewater Inn", and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. * Christy Award finalist and two-time winner of the ACFW Book of the Year award, Kristin Billerbeck has appeared on The Today Show and has been featured in the New York Times. Her books include "A Billion Reasons Why" and "What a Girl Wants." * Denise Hunter is the award-winning and best-selling author of several novels, including "A Cowboy's Touch" and "Sweetwater Gap." She and her husband are raising three boys in Indiana. * Diann Hunt has lived in Indiana forever, been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, her dog, and, well, chocolate.

Vanished Review & Giveaway

I have long enjoyed Irene Hannon's romantic suspense -- so much that I preordered this one, and with each new book I wonder if she'll be able to recapture that perfect mix of engaging story and characters I enjoy getting to know. Vanished does both of those. The heroine, Moira Harrison, gets lost in a thunderstorm and loses control of her car when someone appears in front of it. After the accident she tries to find the person she hit, but that person had vanished. As an investigative reporter, she can't let the matter go, even when the police can't find evidence she hit anyone. So she turns to a private investigator for help.

Thus launches a story. Relatively early on, we know who the bad guy is, so it seems a forgone conclusion that they'll get him. But the bad guy is a powerful figure with so much good you wonder if he could really be it. But there's plenty of bad mixed in to make me

Have some Christmas Money? Great Historical Romance

The cover sold me on this book, but then I read a novella which had me laughing out loud as it introduced the characters in this novel. The novella had me racing to read the book...so much so that I almost went out and bought a second copy of the book because I couldn't wait to get home to start reading.

The book did not disappoint. There is a strong thread of humor that runs through the book, from the main characters to the large supporting cast. Lady Eliza Sumner is hiding who she is in an attempt to find the man who stole her fortune. She ends up serving as a governess in NYC and is thrust into a comedy of errors when she is asked to fill in at an elegant dinner party. Hamilton Beckett is fortunate enough to sit beside this young woman who can't do anything right, and he is intrigued by the very fact she could care less about who he is. Add in a couple kids, a young woman who is determined to be part of every adventure, a jail, interfering mothers, and a white horse and you have a recipe for an absolutely delightful read.

Perfect books for suspense/mystery lovers

Today I want to introduce you to a couple new books by two of my friends who write great conflicted characters. Ronie Kendig shines in military set suspense -- with fantastic characters and a bit outside the box. While Sibella Giorello writes an FBI set series with an equally conflicted heroine. 

Trinity combines Kendig's trademark discarded heroes with the military war dogs. The result is a book I couldn't put down and thoroughly enjoy. Kendig writes military very well, placing the reader in the middle of the action and not letting go. At the end there were a couple times I had to stretch what I thought could really happen, but I willingly did it because I wanted the characters to win. And the twists and turns were great. Combine a broken hero with a broken heroine, an international crisis on the horizon and one amazing dog and this is a great military thriller/suspense. Thoroughly enjoyed it and CANNOT wait for the next book!

Steven James is back with Placebo

I love Steven James' Patrick Bowers series. I love the fresh take on an FBI investigator and all the sub-plots which recur and deepen through the series. When I learned he had started a new series, I was curious to read it...even as I wondered if he could live up to my high expectations.

Placebo is the start of a new series, this time with Jevin Banks as the main character. I'll admit that I was convinced I knew by page 66 exactly where the story was going -- though it didn't -- but I wouldn't be surprised if another book in the series goes where I anticipated.

Jevin Banks is an illusionist who made it big and then disappeared from the show scene when his wife and twin boys died. Now he spends his energy exposing frauds on a national television show. He thinks his trip to a retreat/research center will be one more opportunity to expose frauds. Instead, he's dropped in the center of a quest to see how our lives are interconnected through quantum

Review: You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is an author that I enjoy immensely. She writes prolifically. I honestly don't know how she writes as many books as she does -- and they're all creative and the type that pull me deeply into the story. With You Don't Know Me, she explores the theme of secrets and how it impacts those we love. 

Annalise Decker has it all. Everybody acknowledges it, but the reality is her life is a lie. And now her past is ready to catch her. Hidden by Witness Protection, her worst fears are realized when the man she testified against comes after her. No one knows she has a new identity and the truth could destroy everything she has and the people she loves. 

As the story spins out, the secrets others have harbored and the pain they create spins an intricate web. While there is a small sense of suspense, this is really a story of healing from the past, couples with a nice romance with strong secondary characters. An engaging, enjoyable read. 

Be Swept Away: Two historical romances from favorite authors

Tamera Alexander is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical authors. There is something about her novels set in Antebellum Nashville that draw me in and keep me reading. Yesterday her latest, To Whisper Her Name released...I couldn't read it fast enough. Besides the GORGEOUS cover, the characters were wonderful.

 Olivia Aberdeen is a widow in a desperate situation who is welcomed at Belle Meade Plantation. She knows she is a charity case, but fights to come into her own. Ridley Cooper is a huge part of that happening. He sees a depth and strength to her that she doesn't acknowledge and teased, cajoles, and drums it out of her. At the same time he has deep secrets that he can't reveal...and so he dances a line of telling almost the full truth as he works with the thoroughbreds at Belle Meade. Neither can marry the other for big and oh-to-real reasons despite the growing reality they may be in love.

Add in the rich history that is woven through the pages, an incredible cast of secondary characters, and this is a story that is going on my keeper shelf. Wonderful, truly wonderful book that is perfect for those who love a compelling romance set in another time.

Julie Lessman is another one of my favorite historical authors. Her books are set in Boston during the 1920s and follow the O'Connor family. Julie writes stories with a vividness and depth of passion that makes them so compelling. I get drawn into the world, and I love it when characters reappear from book to book. In her newest, A Love Surrendered, readers get to follow Stephen's story. Here's more:

Orphaned in Iowa, Annie Kennedy moves to Boston to stay with her spinster aunt. She longs for romance to fill the void left by her parents' death. But when she falls hard for Steven O'Connor, the man who broke an engagement to her sister, Annie is worried. Will he break her heart too when he discovers who she really is?

Review: The Memory Jar

Tricia Goyer brings a fresh voice and perspective to Amish fiction with the Memory Jar.  I really enjoy Tricia’s books and the way she brings a fresh perspective to her characters and stories. The Memory Jar is Amish with a twist, because it begins in Montana. It is a journey to wholeness and a journey to dreams. There’s plenty of love and romance to keep the pages turning. A very satisfying story for those who love gentler stories.

Book One in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series

Every year, 30–40 young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive ‘resident’ status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last ten years and wonders if she will ever fall in love.

Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she’s also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Now she’s met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?

Purchase a copy here.

Watch the Video Trailer here.

Make your own Memory Jar and other crafts.

Great Tools for Parents: Hot Buttons Series & Giveaways

Parents, aren't there some conversations you dread...maybe because you're just not sure how to start them. Or how to plant the right seeds and information for your kids to make the right decisions. Or maybe you're overwhelmed by all the land mines we have to navigate with our kids. 

In the Hot Buttons series, Nicole O'Dell has written a series of books that address the big issues with scriptural wisdom and the information to equip us with the information to have those conversations. Avoidance isn't the recipe for success. So let's open these books and get started with parenting our tweens and teens. 

Review: The Sons of Jude

I thoroughly enjoyed Brandt Dodson's Colton Parker series and was very excited to see he had a new book out. This novel launches a new series: this one into the corrupt world of Chicago government and police. Frank Campello's partner is barely in the grave when he's assigned his new partner: Andy Polanski -- a turncoat on other police and the last person Campello wants to trust. When they're assigned a murder that leads to the gateways of Chicago power, they find they have to trust each other cause there's no one else to trust.

The action moves, but never flies in this story. There's a methodical approach to the crime and the assault on power. One dictated by the enemies they're taking on. There's a hint of romance, clash of values, and murders that pile up. And the ending is cliff-hanger as the police hunt for the corrupt among their own. An enjoyable read for those who like gritty crime dramas with plenty of realism.

Ready for some historicals?

There are so many great books releasing in October -- it's an absolute abundance of riches for Christian fiction lovers. Today I'm highlighting two books by writing buddies of mine: Melanie Dobson and Janice Thompson. Each has picked a moment in America's rich tapestry of history to highlight. Melanie's book is set in 1842 on the bitterly hard Oregon Trail and then Fort Vancouver. Janice's book is set on the Titanic -- you may have participated in her fun Facebook Titanic experience in April. Both books will transport you back in time and plant you in settings with characters that capture your heart and attention.

Melanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense). Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company. Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific. 

A young woman traveling the Oregon Trail in 1842 must rely on a stranger to bring her to safety. But whom can she trust with her heart?

With Every Letter Review & Giveaway

Today, I'm delighted to share my friend Sarah Sundin's new book with you. With Every Letter is the first book in her new Wings of the Nightingale series. While watching Shop Around the Corner, she began wondering what it would be like to fall in love through letters at a soul connection. As she noodled on that idea, With Every Letter was born. Mellie is a woman who's never quite fit in and as a result is a loner who can't form friendships. But her boss is requiring her to if she wants to become a flight nurse. Tom is also a loner because of his past. He puts on a sunny front, but in reality he doesn't let people close.

Women in High Def: review

If you're like me, you may keep your eyes open for devotionals that encourage and challenge you where you are. For me that means running sixteen different directions and trying to find ways to love and serve God in the chaos and find Him in the busyness. I was just telling some friends that my heart's cry is to be ever in the middle of His will. Somedays it just seems harder to find where that is.

So when I received a request to review Women in High Def: Boldly Living Your Purposes with Vibrant Clarity I was intrigued.

The book is set up with short devotional chapters written by several women. Diane Markins has divided it into several sections:

The Reunion by Dan Walsh

Watch out...I'm preparing to gush...I've long been a fan of Dan Walsh's books, but The Reunion is absolutely soul-touching. Don't get this book unless you want to feel...deeply. And honor vets...and friendship...and love. My husband stole this book the day it arrived and couldn't put it down. He reads widely and has put down one of Dan's books, but this one he literally carried around the house. He kept telling me I'd love it. Of course I would...but then I read it. It has everything I expect in a Dan Walsh book: well-drawn characters, stories that aren't large-scale, but in the details I find a story that pulls me in. This book reminded me of his first and award-winning book, The Unfinished Gift. It reaches a deeper level that resonated.

I finished the book as I was running on the treadmill. I couldn't get off even as the story had me in tears. It is truly touching: a story about a man being given honor and the chance many of us never get: seeing our lives as others see it. Oh and be absolutely sure you read the author note. Dan, you have honored men like my Dad who fought in Vietnam. Thank you for bringing such humanity to them.   Thank you for writing this book. Oh look, I've teared up again.

If you like stories that have a taste of Nicholas Sparks and character and depth, you will not be sorry you bought this book. In fact, it will likely land on your keeper shelf. I know it has on mine.

I received this book from the publisher.

Falling to Pieces Series Review

Amish novels are not usually my first choice. I like them, but they tend to languish in my to-be-read pile, jumped over by romantic suspense and historicals. Yet I've often found when I do start an Amish book like those by Tricia Goyer and Leslie Gould/Mindy Starns Clark, I usually like them.

This series is a great example of how much the right series can resonate with me.  I received the first book, Falling to Pieces, as a gift, and it languished for a couple months -- partly because I had to pull one book out of my suitcase to make weight. Once I started it, though, I inhaled it and raced to buy book two. I'm so glad book three is out now! I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery series set in Shipshewana, IN.

Falling to Pieces was so fun and rich. There's something about the combination of Englisch and Amish in Shipshewana that made the story fresh. It also had an engaging mystery, quirky supporting characters, and emotional subplots that tugged me to Callie, the Englisch main character. This book is a great addition to a reading pile for those who enjoy Amish stories that have a mystery or those willing to give the genre a try.

I bought A Perfect Square after reading Falling to Pieces. It was fun to return to the "quiet" world of Callie and Deborah though this book starts with the mystery. A young woman is found dead in a pond. Deborah is determined to find the truth so she can help free a friend who's been accused of the murder. Yet Callie is trying to find someone who's been missing 40+ years. Add in layers of romance, spiritual truth, and the characters I already love, and this was a book I raced through while trying to savor it. I really enjoy these books set in Shipshewana, Indiana. Makes me want to hop in the car to enjoy a market day. 

                                                    In Material Witness, Callie, Deborah and their friends return for another mystery. The mix of Englisch and Amish continues in this story with the added bonus that the kids play a larger role. Because the action centers around Daisy's quilt shop, quilts play a large role. From subplots to descriptions to literally saving the day. There's even a stronger dose of romance than appeared in the earlier novels. 

Even if you haven't read the earlier two books (buy them, too!) , you will enjoy Material Witness. It's perfect for those who love highly relational casts with a fun setting, great supporting characters, and a strong mystery to solve.