Love Finds You in Miracle Kentucky by Andrew Boeshaar

Boeshaar is a well-known often read Christian Fiction author, so I was not surprised to find her among the Love Finds You In series.  The premise to Miracle is a unique one and very intriguing to me.  The main character, Meg, has been reared by her single mother all over the U.S. traveling from city to city, guy to guy. The book opens with Meg living with someone in Chicago.  But life has taken its toll and Meg is ready for some rest and a new start. She moves to Miracle, Kentucky to live with her grandmother... a grandmother whom she loves but really doesn't know.  She will also be near her father and his second family.. the one that works.  Can Meg make peace with her dad... her mom... herself... and more importantly with God.

My one negative with this book and it happens in other Christian Fiction is the lack of pointing the reader to Jesus. Meg starts going to church and cleans up her life, but there really is no mention of Jesus or of her working through her life and hurts with Him. It is like she is just all fine after she starts hanging out with church folk.

Love Finds You In Lahaina Hawaii by Bodie Thoene

The Love Finds You series is a wonderful collection of love stories set all over the U.S. and written by different Christian Fiction authors.  Bodie Thoene is well known and loved and this is the first book written by her that I have ever read. It very likely will not be the last.  I know so very little about the History of Hawaii and Thoene is so thorough in her research.

Lahaina provides a story within a story.  It is 1973 and Sandi Smith is trying to live a life in limbo while her husband is MIA in Vietnam. She becomes involved with a project to write a history of each state and is sent to Hawaii to do research and find her story.  Sandi meets Aunt Hannah, a dear friend of the last princess of Hawaii who has written out the entire tale in great detail.  Sandi is drawn back in time as Princess Kaiulani, Hannah and others watch the Hawaii they know and love be swallowed up by the United States and the monarchy placed on a shelf along with much of their heritage. As Sandi delves into Kaiulani and Hannah's stories, she finds herself also drawn into her own story.  She comes face to face with the truth and need to let go and move forward.

Previous books in this series (I have only read 2 prior to this one) were fun and light-hearted, not so Lahaina. There is a depth here that spoke to my heart and made me feel as if I were there watching everything unfold.  A truly wonderful book!

Touching Stars by Emilie Richards

Touching Stars is book 4 in Richards Shenandoah Album series.  (A delightful series!)  Gayle Fortman is a single mom teenage boys.  Her ex is a hot shot journalist seen all over the world reporting the latest crisis or scandal or other big news item.  They bought an inn together when the boys were you, but Eric quickly realized he was not meant to stay in one place... and so he left.  He has been in and out of his boys lives over the years, never really taking time to get to know them. Now he is recovering from a near-death experience in Afghanistan and he needs a place to rest.  Gayle opens her home, the Daughters of the Stars Bed-n-Breakfast to Eric hoping that while he is there he and the boys will make peace and connect.   What she doesn't expect are all the emotions that will resurface with Eric there.  The anger.. hurt.. love.. from days gone by.  Gayle finally realizes what everyone else has known, that she needs to step back in time and deal with her divorce and the feelings that have been pushed down all these years. Then and only then can she move forward with her life and love.