A bit of Historic Fiction....

These are all in my "read" (as in already read not to read) folder on my Kindle.  And when I look at them, I know I read them and I remember whether I liked them or not. I don't, however, remember all the details and to scan the summaries and bring those back to mind would take a lot of time.. SO here are some of the books I read this Spring with a bit of review for each.

Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot - Book 1 in the Texas Dreams trilogy.  This was a nice read. Sarah has left Philadelphia for the wide open spaces of Texas where she will be married to her beloved Austin. Sarah and Austin have never met.. they have been exchanging letters and she has accepted his marriage proposals and finds herself a mail-order bride. Full of hope for the future, Sarah's heart is broken when she gets to San Antonio and learns Austin is dead.  What is she to do? She cannot go back East and it appears Austin's brother wants nothing to do with her.  Can she find a place for herself in Texas and in Clay's heart?

Tall Dark and Determined by Kelly Eileen Hake -- I have loved every book I have read by Hake.. until this one. I tried several times, but never could get interested in it.  It is the 2nd book in a series and I fear that it is just a filler to connect the first too.

The Midwife's Legacy by Rhonda Gibson, Pamela Griffin, Jane Kirkpatrick & Trish Perry -- This is part of the Romance America books and is a compilation of 4 novellas. I loved how they all link together going from one generation to the next connected by an journal.  And how they follow the evolution of midwifery even into the modern day.  And I love that the desire to be a midwife skips a generation along the way.. a very realistic touch.  The stories wind their was from early Wisconsin settlers and the Oregon trail to present day America.  Very enjoyable and a bit enlightening about the calling to be a midwife and how it is viewed in our nation.

Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

Book 1 of the Under Texas Stars series

If you scan my blog,  you will find that I am hooked on Coble's works and have yet to read one I did not like. Her books combine all the things I love... a bit of history (most of her books are historical fiction), a taste of intrigue and mystery (everything is never quite what it seems) and a touch of romance. And as expected Blue Moon Promises delivers it all and includes Texas a cowboys too boot! :-)

Lucy Marsh is a young determined woman caring for 2 younger siblings in the face of destitution and danger. As she learns that they are to loose their home and that her father's death may not have been an accident, a old friend of his shows up and offers her a way out. A proxy marriage to his son.  Lucy would prefer to know the man and to marry for love, but time and circumstances don't allow for that luxury and so she takes the offer... marries the man sight unseen.. and heads to Texas with her brother and sister in tow.

Nate Stanon plans to settle down and marry one day, but in his time and with the woman of his choice. So he is less than amused or pleased when his father shows up with a ready made family in tow. What on earth is Nate supposed to do with these cushy city folks as he tries to run and build up his ranch?

But over time Lucy proves to be more than meets the eye. Her determination and strength surprise Nate and he finds that God's truly does work in mysterious ways.

Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough

The third and finally book of the Boardinghouse Brides series.  I have reviewed book 1 ( The Anonymous Bride ) and book 2 (Second Chance Brides )

As with the other books in this series, I was hooked immediately and enjoyed every word!  McDonough does a great job of bringing everything together in this final installment.  And one of the things I love best about book 3 is the return of 2 characters who had "fallen from grace" and are restored. While Finally a Bride is a fun romance with some very laughable moments, it also shows how we are NEW creations in Christ. How our past.. no matter how hurtful or wrong.. can be wiped away with our salvation.  It is a story of grace hidden in the midst of this light hearted story.

I cannot say enough about this series.  I read fiction is relax and get away a bit from the pressures and stress of life. So I look for something that is a bit light and fun, but I like there to be a bit of meat.. something to learn or of which to be reminded.  All of that is found in this series.

Second Chance Brides by Vickie McDonough

Book 2 in the Boarding House Brides Trilogy.

Book 1 reviewed here:  The Anonymous Bride

I have been waiting for Second Chance Brides to become available on PaperBack Swap!  And it finally did (and I will be posting this one back there for someone else to enjoy!)

Such a fun series.  There are a number of kinds of books I love.. my 2 favorites are cozy mysteries and historic fiction.  I especially love historic fiction set in pioneer or cowboy times. I guess I am a sucker for the Marlboro Man!  LOL!  This series doesn't let me down... and if you like rugged manly men books, they won't let you down either. But I also prefer my female leads to be strong women... not weak and wimpy damsels in distress.  Again, this series delivers the goods.

In Second Chance Brides, Leah and Shannon are stranded in Lookout, TX not sure where the next step will lead nor even what the next step should be. Neither can return home.. Shannon has no home, no family.. Leah would be forced to marry a man old enough to be her father just to provide security for her family.

So they set out to find either employment or husbands.  Employment isn't easy to find, but candidates for husband are!  The men in Lookout know the story.. that they are "leftover" mail order brides.. and they come calling not to court, but to marry. Sadly most want a housekeeper and cook, not a true wife. Is it too much for these girls to expect love before marriage?

The Lightkeeper's Bride by Colleen Coble

Book 2 in the Mercy Falls series. Another great book by Coble.  

Katie Russell loves her job as a telephone operator in Mercy Falls, but her family has plans for her.. plans to better her life and theirs... an advantageous marriage. So they are thrilled when Bartholomew Foster proposes and Katie accepts.  But then life takes a twist... while working, Katie accidentally hers an ominous exchange. And then the lady she heard goes missing leaving behind an infant with no one to care for her. 

Will Jepperson, the new lightkeeper, lays claim to the child.. believing her to be his niece.  But Katie has other ideas and is not keen on Jepperson taking the baby. Eventually they call a truce and form an unlikely alliance in a quest to find Eliza and learn the truth behind the exchange Katie heard.  

Another wonderful intriguing story with adventure and romance mixed in for good measure.  Looking forward to the final book in this series.

The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble

Addie Sullivan grew up in northern California in a lighthouse.  It was a quiet and uneventful life until a stranger shows up and tells her she is not who she thinks she is.  Addie's world and identity is turned upside down as she is introduced to her "real" family.. the Eaton's.  Well known in high-society, the Eaton's are wealthy and powerful and like no family Addie has ever seen or imagined.  How on earth will she begin to fit it?  And as she begins to try, tragedy strikes. It seems someone is not happy to have Julia Eaton back from her watery grave and is determined to end the happy reunion.

An intriguing and exciting tale that draws the reader in and takes him/her on a roller coaster ride with emotional highs and gut wrenching drops.

This is book 1 in the Mercy Falls series by Coble. I am picking up book 2 at my local library today!

Christmas Books

Each year from Thanksgiving to New Year's I read only books that are Christmas themed.  A personal tradition I started some years ago and continue to love. I rarely read a Christmas book any other time of year.

I read 11 books this year... 2 or 3 were Novellas... 2 were collections of Novellas.. all were good... some better than others. :-)

Here is a run down of what I read and a very short review of each.

 Blue Christmas by Diane Moody

This is book 1 of the Moody Blue Trilogy

Hannah is a college senior working late on Christmas Eve and having a full blown pity party when a customer invites her to a Christmas Eve service.  As a result Hannah meets Jason McKenzie, the lead singer of her favorite band and her teen idol. Life gets complicated and surreal as Hannah tries to mesh normal life with the world of celebrity.





A Victorian Christmas (Anthology) by Catherine Palmer

4 Novellas about love and joy at Christmas: A Victorian Christmas Quilt, A Victorian Christmas Tea, The Victorian Christmas Cottage and A Victorian Christmas Keepsake. Each one a delightful and lovely read.

Christmas Under Western Skies: A Prairie Family Christmas / A Cowboy's Christmas  by Anna Schmidt and Linda Ford

2 in one... Both wonderful Historic Fiction set in the American West. Both books center on someone determined to just pass through, but who learns that God has other plans.

One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson

I admit that this one was a bit of a downer at times, but worth reading. Natalie is facing a horrific Christmas. Her beloved mother has been an invalid for a year as a result of a stroke and no one seems to believe she will recover. Natalie is determined she will.. she has to!  Her obsession is costing her everything... her job, family, faith, life. Natalie is determined to make this Christmas one of miracles no matter what it takes!

Christmas at Barncastle by Susan Paige Davis, Darlene Franklin, Janelle Mowery, Lynette Sowell

This is part of the Romancing America series and contains 4 stories in one book.

Each story centers around a lovely bed-and-breakfast called Barncastle Inn in Vermont.  Their specialty is a week at Christmas in whatever time and theme you want.  Made me want to go visit.  While the stories are stand alones, they all center around the same location and characters reoccur from story to story. Very fun read!

The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson

I don't believe I have ever not liked a book by Carlson and her Christmas Stories are my favorites.  This one is no exception.  It is quirky and fun and takes a hard look at human nature and skepticism in light of God's love and forgiveness.

Home for the Holidays by Christine Lynxwiler

A Christmas Novella

Last year I read Lynxwiler's novella My True Love Gave to Me. It is still one of my favorite Christmas reads. So i looked forward to this one and was not the least bit disappointed. In Home, Lauren realizes her life long friendship with Jeffrey is no longer a friendship where she is concerned.  But alas, he is searching for the perfect wife and Lauren knows she is not it. So off she goes to St. Louis to provide Jeffrey with the break he needs to find that wife and the space Lauren needs to soothe her heart.

All I Have to Give: A Christmas Love Story by Melody Carlson

If you have ever read The Gift of the Magi, then this book will ring familiar. But please don't let that keep you from reading! Anna and Michael have been trying to have a baby for years and are both facing the reality that the day will never come.  Each strives to give the other the perfect Christmas and along the way both make wrong judgment calls about each other. Fortunately love covers a multitude of sin and this Christmas there is an abundance of love surrounding them.

A Biltmore Christmas by Diane Ashley, Sylvia Barnes, Rhonda Gibson, Jeri Odell

This is part of the Romancing America series and contains 4 stories in one book.

Set back in time shortly after Biltmore was constructed, each story focuses on the grand house and a set of orphaned sisters seeking a new life there.  In each case, they find that new life but not in the way they expected. Wonderful stories about an age in our country where the barriers of Class and Status were being challenged.

A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

I enjoy Amish fiction and have just recently discovered Chapman's writings.  Annie Weaver left her Amish roots with full intention of returning one day. But one day came later than she had planned. Now a trained nurse, Annie is called to return home and care for her father after an accident.  Is she home for good? Will she join the church.. find a husband.. return to the life waiting for her? And how will she use her skills among a people who see it as prideful?  Her Simple Amish Christmas is not as Simple as she thought it would be.

Bah, Humbug!  by Heather Horrocks

A Romantic Comedy Novella

This was probably the most fun read of all the books this season. Too cute! Lexi Anderson is a single mom who has her own television show and has been touted as the next Martha Stewart. So she finds it ironic when she moves next door to Scrooge. No sign of Christmas anywhere! And to add insult to injury, he is the author of her favorite series of books!  What's a girl to do? In Lexi's case, step in and save the man from himself and bring Christmas and love back into his life.

There are my Christmas reads from the 2012 season. If you read Christmas throughout the year, then grab one of these and read away. You won't be disappointed!  Or start saving them up for the 2013 Christmas season and start a Christmas books only tradition like me!  I already have some in my closet and loaded on my Kindle for next year!

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer

I have reviewed another book or 2 by Witemeyer here before. I found a book she wrote (Tailor-made Bride) in a clearance section of a store a year or so ago. The cover caught my eye and the book peaked my curiosity. I have never regretted purchasing that book and the others by this author I have snatched up since. And I look forward to future works.

I love a light hearted fun bit of fiction that entertains and helps the reader escape a bit from the craziness of life BUT I also like there to be a bit of meat there too... a lesson to be learned. Witemeyer delivers.

Adelaide Proctor has it all figured out.. her life that is.. right down to the man who will be her husband. When he is promoted and transferred, Adelaide takes it on herself to pursue and obtain said husband-to-be... but when he is found, well... Adelaide finds that things are not as she thought. Stranded in a new town with no money and no job would unhinge most women. Not Adelaide. She sets a course to find new employment. Her no nonsense persona lands her a position as governess to a young girl, Isabella,  who lives in an isolated part of Texas on a sheep ranch.

Being raised by a guardian, Isabella is heiress to a fortune in England and wanted by an unscrupulous uncle for the money and title.  Gideon, her guardian, hopes to keep her hidden away and protected.  But as is often the case, evil seeks and finds what it wants.

When Isabella's uncle comes to take her, Gideon and Adelaide find themselves trusting God on a deeper level. Not only with Isabella, but also with their hearts.

The Bride Blunder by Kelly Eileen Hake

The final book in the Prairie Promises Trilogy

Gavin Miller is set to settle down and take a wife... and he knows just the woman he want. Marguerite Chandler.  When Marge steps off the stagecoach, Gavin realizes his error. 2 cousins with the same name.. Marguerite.. one called Marge .. the other Daisy, his Daisy.. only she didn't respond to his letter of proposal, Marge did. What is Gavin to do?

When Marge discovers the truth, she refuses Gavin's offer of marriage and sets out to start a new life for herself in Buttonwood.  As she makes friends and becomes a part of the town, Gavin grows to see Marge as much more than Daisy's plain cousin.  But is it too late to turn her heart towards him?

As with the other 2 books in this series, this was a wonderful story with fun and fascinating characters.

Previous books in the series:

The Bride Bargain  http://bookaholicconfessions.blogspot.com/2012/05/bride-bargain-by-kelly-eileen-hake.html

The Bride Backfire  http://bookaholicconfessions.blogspot.com/2012/05/bride-backfire-by-kelly-eileen-hake.html

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

I discovered Witemeyer a year or so ago when I stumbled across her book, Tailor-Made Bride on sale at a local store. The cover and write up grabbed my attention and so I snatched it up.  Loved reading it and reviewed it here: http://bookaholicconfessions.blogspot.com/2011/08/tailor-made-bride-by-karen-witemeyer.html

I have sense read To Win Heart by Witemeyer ( http://bookaholicconfessions.blogspot.com/2012/08/to-win-her-heart-by-karen-witemeyer.html  )  and was thrilled when this book came up as a bargain on Amazon.  I was, once again, wrapped up in a sassy fun tail with lively characters.  There was nothing I did not like about this book!

Meridith Hayes has dreamed of the same man since she was 10 years old, so when she overhears a plot to cause harm to the Archer ranch she determines to alert Travis Archer and save him from trouble.  Along the way she gets hurt and ends up causing more trouble than she ever expected.. a shot-gun wedding with her as the bride and, after pulling the short-straw in a contest with his brothers, Travis the groom.  

How did a good deed turn into such a mess?  Can Meridith win Travis' heart and teach him to open up to the world outside his ranch?  Or will she find herself trapped in a loveless marriage and on his ranch? 

Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina by Tamela Hancock Murray

Take a step back into the Roaring 20s complete with flappers donning bobbed hair and painted faces.  Hestia Myatt is determined to resist the temptation to become a "modern" woman. Needing to get away after a heart-break, Hestia goes to Maiden to spend time with her grandmother as the elderly woman recoups from a fall. Maiden has always been a special place for Hestia and she knows she will find solitude there as she contemplates her future and the choices that lie before her.

While there, Hestia reconnects with childhood friends including Booth Barrington, who has gone from being a bratty pest to a handsome gentleman who watches out for her grandmother, and her glamorous city cousin, Selene, who arrives in Maiden shortly after Hestia. Selene has embraced the "modern" lifestyle to its fullest and now must deal with a consequence of her poor choices.

Will Hestia's modesty and faith draw Selene or will Selene's tales of parties and speakeasies tempt Hestia to make a radical change in her life?

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

I discovered Witemeyer earlier this year and fell in love with her writing style, her characters and her stories. If you read my blog, you know I like "fun" stories with "real" people. Witemeyer's books fit the bill!

Levi Grant is looking for a fresh start.  He has served his time and been forgiven and made new by the blood of Jesus Christ. Spencer, Texas needs a blacksmith and Levi knows the trade well, having been taught by his father.  Spencer is also a place that knows nothing of his past... a place to begin again.

Eden Spencer has resigned herself to spinsterhood and is quite content.  Men are a bother.. they lie and twist the truth to trap women. No more.  Instead, Eden is devoting her life to her lending library and flowers.  Both are tamer and safer!

So when the new blacksmith walks in larger than life and asks to borrow a book, Eden is unprepared for the effect he has on her heart. Surely he is there to impress and entice. Determined to call his bluff, Eden sets out to prove him to be like all the rest. What she finds is quite the opposite.  There are depths to Levi's character she would never have expected to find there.

Just when Eden decides to open her heart once again, Levi's past rears its ugly head. Can she trust this man or is he the greatest deceiver of them all?

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Deep takes off where Courting Trouble left off.. which makes a review a bit tricky.  Don't want to give away anything in either book.

Let's just say that Essie Spreckelmeyer continues to live large despite the looks and comments of others.  Tony is new to Spreckelmeyer oil and a bit overwhelmed at having a woman for a boss, especially one as outlandish as Essie.

Another book full of fun, adventure and romance!

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Another wonderful read by Gist!  

1894 Texas.... just prior to the oil boom.  Essie Spreckelmeyer is her own woman.. her own definition of woman (which includes riding bicycles, sliding down banisters, hunting snakes and more!) She sees no reason not to live life to its fullest with joy and spontaneity... and so she does. As a result, she reaches the ripe old age of 30 with no husband and no suitor. Being a woman of her own mind, Essie sets out to find her own man. After weighing the pros and cons of every available man in Corsicana, TX, Essie sets her sites on the "best" candidate and sets off to catch him.  The question remains, is he willing to be caught?

While not a full fledged series, there is a sequel to Courting Trouble.... Deep in the Heart of Trouble. another excellent book!

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist

Deanne Gist is one of my absolute favorite authors these days. I just finished up 3 books by her and loved every single one! I have reviewed other books by her on the blog, so be sure to search for them (search for Gist).

Rachel Van Buren is a lady and she is determined to stay one.  When she and her siblings find themselves alone with nothing in the California territory, she sets out to protect and provide all the while determining to hold on to the rules her mother instilled before her death.  But Rachel soon learns that circumstances sometimes require letting go of the rules and that being a lady has more to do with the heart than with keeping the rules.

Johnnie Parker comes to the rescue of Rachel and her charges, fully expecting them to jump on the next boat back to the East. What he does not expect is for Rachel to challenge the lifestyle he has chosen nor to share an interest in "greening up" San Francisco.

1849 San Francisco is raw and new... a mud pit full of opportunity for those who stick it out.. and a pit ready to suck in those who are weak and scared. This is not a book that paints a rosy happy ever after picture. The reader sees San Francisco in its infancy complete with the hopes and dreams... fears and trappings.

Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot

Once again I have discovered a new-to-me author and thoroughly enjoyed her work.  Abigail Harding is content with her life as a teacher in Vermont.  Her students love her and she has an understanding with another teacher with an engagement to come soon, but letters from her sister, Charlotte, bring her great concern. Charlotte, married and living on a Fort in Wyoming, sounds distressed and melancholy... very uncharacteristic for Charlotte. Abigail decides to make a surprise visit to see for herself what is afoot.

As Abigail travels on her journey, she finds the landscape boring and the trip monotonous... she longs for the beauty of the lush greens of Vermont.  A robbery attempt shakes her from her boredom and opens her eyes to a whole new world... and to Lieutenant Ethan Bowles.

As their attraction grows, so does the tension. Abigail has a life and a sweetheart in Vermont.  Ethan loves the military life and Wyoming.  Add to this a bit of intrigue and scandal at the Fort and you have the makings of a wonderful well rounded story with full rich characters... joy and love, but also heart ache and sadness.

Book 1 of the Westward Winds was a wonderful book and makes me look forward to the others in the series.

The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough

Yet another new-to-me author and again one I will be reading again! Loved this book. I confess the cover reeled me in.. it is just too cute and I felt sure the story would live up to my expectations.. and it did!

This is book one of the Texas Boardinghouse Brides.

When Rachel jilted him for James, Luke's heart broken and he ran.  Now he is coming home to become the new sheriff, determined to coexist with daily evidence of all he lost and to resist the love he still feels for Rachel. But then he learns that Rachel is now a widow and the towns folks expect the 2 of them to pick up where they left off.

Luke is not willing to forgive much less forget and Rachel is resigned to living life without love.

And then the brides arrive.  Luke's mischievous cousins take it on themselves to find him a woman, placing an ad on his behalf and without his knowledge.  Three women arrive as the mail-order brides of the Sheriff's and much to everyone's dismay they find shelter in Rachel's boardinghouse while things get straightened out.

There is a great deal of competition as each lady is desperate to be married and stay in Texas... and when Rachel decides to secretly toss her hat in the ring, sparks fly and humor abounds!

Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

Another new-to-me author and one I will watch for in the future.

This is a Ladies of Summerhill Novel.. book 1.. and what a delightful read! Lily Westbrook is a proper lady of 1899 on her way to marrying into a family that will establish her in the realms of Rhode Island High Society,  But Lily has a secret... she is a writer. Oh not the poetry her family sees and hears, no Lily's real passion is writing Dime Store Novels. And she is good!  Donning a pen name and keeping an air of mystery, only serve to increase the popularity of her books.  What would her family... her fiance' .. think if they knew she was Fannie Cole!?

She get to witness their reaction first hand.. and sooner than expected.  A ruthless blackmailer has set out to reveal Fannie Cole's real identity unless Lily pay his price.  Add to that a long-lost beau who returns and purchases the publishing company which employees her.... and who is insisting on meeting Miss Cole.

Oh what a tangled web we weave... and how on earth will Lily every get untangled!

Again, delightful read!  Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Rugged and Relentless by Kelly EIleen Hake

Book 1 of the Husbands for Hire series

What a twist!  I have read a number of books with Mail-order brides, by husbands? Nope.. that is a new one and so clever.  3 women find themselves in charge of a dying town after gold-mine goes under. Determined to not loose all they have.. to make bring back the town.. they determine what they need are husbands.  After all, unmarried women cannot own property. So they set out to find husbands in a very businesslike manner.. they place an advertisement in various newspapers.  They expect to be met with replies.. letters.. when they arrive in Hope Falls.  What they find are suitors.. more than they bargained for.. all anxious to be "the one".

Jacob Granger is in Hope Falls, but not to find a wife.. to find a killer.  The women's scheme provides cover for his investigation, but he soon finds himself drawn in... protecting "those fool women" from themselves and the men vying for their attention.

Rugged and Relentless delivers a wild ride in the old West with laughter and love and a bit of danger thrown in.

Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy

Book 3 of the Montana Marriages Trilogy

The story for this book starts in book 2 (The Husband Tree) and while I have no doubt you could figure things out if you start with this one, it is a much more enjoyable if you read book 1 and 2 first.

Wade Sawyer is a changed man. Years of being bullied and abused by his powerful father took its toil and he was on his way to being as evil as his Pa. That is until God got hold of his heart and made him a new creation.  So now Wade faces a dilemma.  His father has been hurt.. bed ridden.. and he has sent for Wade to come run the ranch while he mends.  Should Wade go or should he avoid the man who has caused him so much pain?

Add to that, Wade is travelling with a white woman who was reared by Native Americas after the death of her parents and is now, once again, alone as her camp has been raided and destroyed.  How will Wade's father react to her, Abby, and she to him.

There is only one way to find out and so Wade and Abby head for home.

What Wade fines there is far from what he expected. His father still as angry and venomous as ever, but also dejected and broken.  Hired hands with no skill in their hands and no good in their minds.  Danger... treachery.. deceit.. and Wade is determined to get to the bottom of it.

As he does, Abby fights to find her way in this strange new world and wrestles with the feelings she has for Wade.

God has done so much in Wade's life... more than he deserved.. dare he ask for a few more miracles to come his way?