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.

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.

Lone Star Trail by Darlene Franklin

Book One of the Texas Trail Series.  There are 6 books in this series that follows the Morgan family. And 3 authors who wrote 2 books each: Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis and Vickie McDonough

Jud Morgan has lived in Texas most of his life... all that he can remember. His father lived and died for the land and he is not about to let any "foreigners" come in and take over.  But when a family of German immigrants breaks down and his mother invites them to stay until they are able to travel again, Jud has no choice but to welcome them to the family home.

Try as he might to dislike the Fleishchers, Jud finds himself drawn to Wande and taken with the character and work ethic of the entire family.  Maybe he has been wrong in his thinking.  Maybe Texas is big enough for them all.

Wonderful start to what I feel sure will be a great series! Looking forward to following the Morgan saga.

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? 

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?

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!

Fools Rush in by Janice Thompson

This is book one of Thompson's Weddings by Bella series... and I will most definitely be looking for the others in this series!

This, like so many books I am reading these days, was offered as a freebie on Kindle recently.  What a great way to find new authors and series!

Bella Rossi is an all-American-Italian girl living in Galveston, TX. Not where you expected right? Her parents have retired and given her full reign of the family Wedding business and Bella is all in.. over her head she fears!  She has advertised "theme" weddings and her first one is booked.. a Boot-Scootin' Western style bash. What on earth does a girl raised on Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra know about Country Western music, much less boots and cowboy hats?  In walks DJ....born and bred Texan... a cowboy in the flesh and the answer to Bella's problems... and maybe, just maybe, the man of her dreams.

It is a blast "watching" as these two get to know each other and their families collide in a cultural tsunami.  You will find mob owned parrots who curse a blue streak (don't worry, no words shared in the book)... Charismatic sisters who dance to the Lord whenever the chance arises... Rosa's heavenly garlic bread and Bubba's to-die-for BBQ... a hound dog and a yorki-poo.. and so much more!

A delightful read!  Great start to 2012 for this reader.