At Every Turn - Anne Mateer

It's been harder to get some reading in with the holiday break, but I did get the opportunity to get this book finished last night.  In the past, I have read Wings of a Dream, also by this author.  I enjoyed that one and put this book on my watch list.  I was extremely pleased when it popped up for free.

Alyce is a young woman who loves to drive.  In the early days of the automobile, this was a big no-no.  Alyce's father is a rich man, but he's not a believer.  One day, Alyce hears the story of missionaries in Africa and feels that God wants her to help.  On an impulse, she vows to contribute $3,000 their cause and challenges the congregation to do the same. Unfortunately, asking her father ends up being pointless.  It's up to Alyce to come up with a plan.  In her eyes, the only thing that she's good at is driving.  Her father is starting to race cars, so she asks the family mechanic to help her drive.

Alyce starts to have feelings for her friend, Webster, who also happens to be the mechanic.  He's the only one who really knows about her passion for driving.  She craves his approval of her plans, but she's not sure why.  Her father's assistant, Lawrence, also seems to be interested in her.  He is a more suitable match than a mechanic, but Alyce isn't quite sure how she feels about him.

Circumstances put Alyce into some situations where she chooses to lie to keep driving. Her lies cause her to start questioning if she is really doing God's will or choosing her own path.  She also starts to learn that not everyone is what they seem.  She misjudges situations and people and it causes them and her pain.

This book is also told from the first person.  Both Lawrence and Webster end up being very mysterious that way.  It's a change from what I am used to, but it was a pleasant change.  You end up going on the journey with Alyce instead of being able to figure out everyone's motives right off the bat.  At the moment, these are the only two books out by this author.  I enjoyed them both and am glad to give this one my Good Book! review.

To Love a Stranger - (Wyoming #4) - Colleen Coble

This is the fourth and final book in the Wyoming series and follows Jasper, the brother of Jessica, the heroine of book 3.

Bessie is shocked when she finds out that her sister, Lenore has married her off to a man she doesn't know.  On top of that, it is legal and she is going to have to travel west to be with him. Bessie has always felt second best to Lenore and her beauty, and is easily persuaded to go along with Lenore's idea.  Bessie has many fears about travelling west and all the dangers, but she is determined to keep her sister out of trouble.

Jasper is also shocked when he meets the stage.  The little wren that meets him is not the beauty that he holds a picture of.  Bessie had no idea that Lenore had sent a picture and confesses what has happened.  Jasper is less than thrilled in the beginning and plans to try and annul the marriage and send Bessie back to Boston.  There is no way that she will be able to survive out in the wild.

Jasper is in for a big surprise when Bessie declares that she has no plans of leaving or annulling the marriage. Whether she knew about it ahead of time or not, she feels connected to this man and is determined to be a wife that Jasper can be proud of.

I did like this book, but it isn't all sunshine and roses.  There are times that tug at the heart, and even though everything is resolved at the end, it doesn't all turn out the way you'd expect.  There is the usual happy ending  and the epilogue is short and sweet.  All in all, it was a good series and I was glad to read it.  Good Book!

The Heart Answers (Wyoming #3) - Colleen Coble

This is another of this author's out of print books that have been published in digital form. This is the third book in the series and does not need to be read in order.  There are a few places where the characters from the first two book appear, but you're not missing anything if you haven't read the first two.

Jessica has been the villain in the past two books of the series and now it's time to see things from her point of view.  When her father dies, her mother accepts her brother-in-law's proposal to be his wife and take over care of his household.  The situation is frustrating to Jessica, because she doesn't get along with her cousin very well and would rather go to Boston.

On the way to the fort, Jessica runs across Clay, a preacher that looks more like a cowboy than a man of God.  Jessica plans to use her time flirting with him and eventually humiliating him, but instead the tables are turned and she comes to find out who she is and what she really wants.  The issue is that Clay seems immune to her charms.

Clay is escorting his cousin and her daughter to the fort when he meets Jessica, a pampered, spoiled young woman.  He knows how to handle women like her and tells it like it is.  Jessica isn't used to this reaction, she's used to manipulating people and getting what she wants in the end.  Circumstances bring them together in caring for the little girl and Jessica is faced with some tough decisions.  She wants to be a better person, but she wonders if she will have to sacrifice getting what she wants.

I liked this book.  I can count on this author to give me a good book just about every time. This was no exception.  I appreciated writing the story about the reformed villain from the first two books in the series. The only thing that bothered me was the end.  The timing of the proposal seemed a little odd to me.  When it comes to books like this, the ending is important and it just didn't fit in very well.  Other than that, it was a good book and I look forward to reading the last one in the series.  Good Book!

End of the Trail (Texas Trail #6) - Vickie McDonough

This is the sixth and final book in this series.  I was glad to get the first one for free and the rest for $0.99.  This is the most unusual series that I have read.  For more information on the series itself, you can read my review on the first book, Lone Star Trail.

Brooks Morgan left home when he was a young man thinking that he would never be good enough.  He didn't want to work on the ranch and took his horse and ran away.  Ten years later, he ends up in a town and runs into a man.  The man is sick and Brooks agrees to take care of him until he dies.  The man has one last card game at his house and Brooks wins the deed to his ranch.

Keri is the dead man's niece and comes back from finishing school to find that her world has been upended.  Her uncle is dead and she comes to find out that the man she saved from a lynching is the new owner of her home.  She wonders if she should have let him be hanged after all.

These two don't exactly hit it off right away.  Keri thinks that Brooks is a charmer and a joker and won't take anything seriously.  She thinks he won't work hard enough to keep the ranch going and ruin her home.  She has no one else and nowhere to go, so she's stuck unless she agrees to marry a man who has his heart set on having her.  There's something about him that frightens Keri a bit, but she's more afraid of the feelings that are growing for Brooks.

I enjoyed this book, as I did the others, and I believe that the series was a good investment.  Sometimes I end up with buyer's remorse when I try out new authors, but this time, there are no regrets.  I liked the characters and the story had great examples of second chances.  Good Book!  Good series!

Cowgirl Trail (Texas Trail #5) - Susan Page Davis

I've been reviewing the books in this series a lot, so I'll cut to the chase.  If you want information on the series itself, check out my review on Lone Star Trail.  I've been glad to get the first one for free and I've gotten the rest for $0.99.

Alex has been working on the Rocking P ranch for years, working his way up to foreman. The past couple years, his boss has been cutting back and taking away the perks he was giving the men.  The men are planning a strike and Alex is torn between his loyalty to the man and the men he works with.

Maggie has come home after being away for a while.  First she was taking care of her mother, then visiting her cousin after her mother passed away.  Coming back, she finds that her father is a different man and that the men are getting ready to walk out.

Maggie finds out that her father is not only short of money, but he is also ill.  He refuses to tell the men anything about his situation.  He feels betrayed and angrily tells them all to leave.

Alex and Maggie are now on opposite sides and they both wonder how they could ever be together.  Maggie feels betrayed that Alex didn't side with her or stay to help her out.  She lashes out at him on a number of occasions.  Her family needs money desperately and now it's up to Maggie to find a way to get the cattle rounded up for the drive to market.

This is probably my least favorite so far of the series, but I liked it nonetheless.  Maggie was unfair to Alex so many times that I wanted to smack her.  Eventually someone calls her out on her attitude and it was about time.  I liked Alex's character more.

I'm going to go ahead and finish out the series with End of the Trail.  This was a good book and I didn't have any issues reading through it and it only took me about 2 or 3 days. The book follows the pattern of the others and is able to be read out of order or by itself. The mentions of the family are barely in there and they only appear at the very end. Good Book!

The Ranger's Trail (Texas Trail #4) - Darlene Franklin

This is the fourth book in the Texas Trail series.  So far, I have been able to read them in order and I have enjoyed each of them.  This series is unusual and for more on it and to see titles of the other books in the series, you can see my review on the first book, Lone Star Trail.  I got that one for free.  The other four I have picked up for $0.99.

A confusing law had started a war between the Anglos and the Germans residing in Mason County, Texas.  The Germans thought that some of the Anglos had been cattle rustling.  When one of the men is found not guilty, the Germans exact their own form of justice and hang the man.

Buck is a Texas Ranger that has been sent to the area to deal with the violence between the Anglos and the Germans.  He has ties to the community.  His uncle's family live in the area and Buck fears that some of his family may be involved in the violence.

Leta's husband was the man hung in front of his family.  Now the two sides are exchanging killings and the violence starts to come back towards home.  Buck comes to investigate what happened to her husband and ends up caught between the two sides.

As with the others in this series, it's not the most perfect book.  There are some typos in there but nothing major that took away from my enjoyment of the book.  I did enjoy it, but it seemed to be a little lacking in the development of the relationship between Buck and Leta.  At the end, I just didn't feel like they had enough interactions of consequence to merit the marriage at the end.  Wasn't a deal breaker, but I just wish there had been a little more in there.

This has been a great series.  I have Cowgirl Trail waiting to be read, and I'm hoping that the pattern holds and I can pick up the last one for $0.99.  I'm crossing my fingers and waiting patiently.  Again, any of these books can be read alone with no issues, but I like seeing the characters from the previous books and knowing who they are.  This particular book definitely gets a Good Book! review.

Head in the Clouds - Karen Witemeyer

Having read all three of this author's other books (I have reviews for Short-Straw Bride and To Win Her Heart in this blog) I was hoping against hope that this one would drop in price.  I have greatly enjoyed all three of her other books and was thrilled when this one popped up for $2.99.

Adelaide has been longing for a family so badly that she is willing to marry a man she doesn't love just to get that family.  When she follows the man to Fort Worth, she gets a rude awakening.  Now that her plans are having to change, Adelaide feels like she needs to ask for God's guidance this time and ends up in the Texas wilderness applying for the position of governess with a sheep herder.

Gideon has come to America from England to prove to his father that he can make something of his life through hard work and sacrifice.  On the ship ride over, he runs into a woman who is dying.  She begs him to take care of her little girl and makes sure that her will is properly changed before she dies.  Since her mother's death, the little girl hasn't spoken a word.  Gideon hopes that a governess will be able to restore the joy to his new daughter.

When Gideon's lawyer brings out the three candidates for the position, Adelaide quickly stands out as the best one for the little girl.  A series of mishaps brings some laughter back into the house and Adelaide wonders if maybe Gideon is the knight in shining armor that she has dreamed of since she was small.

Their joy is short lived when they discover that the little girl's uncle is coming after her and they soon learn that he will stop at nothing to get the little girl and her money.  Gideon and Adelaide have to put their love on hold to fight off the danger that is coming their way.

I loved this book.  The action didn't stop until the very end of the book and it was hard to put down.  As far as I can tell, this author only has out four books and I have now read them all.  I can't find anything mentioning any upcoming novels and that's a shame, because her books are great and I wish there were more!  Great book!

To Protect & Serve (The Courage Series #1) - Staci Stallings

I picked up this book for free quite some time ago.  I normally stick to authors I already like for contemporary romances, but I wanted to give this new author a shot.

Lisa is running her own company and basically running herself into the ground.  While helping her sister celebrate her upcoming marriage, she ends up at a club wishing she was back at work.  There she meets Jeff, who has come with his friends to celebrate their graduation from the fire academy.

Both of these people have issues.  Lisa apparently only attracts the wrong kind of man, and Jeff is so shy that he literally hides from Lisa when he sees her.  I'd like to report more on the story, but not much had happened in the 35% that I read.  They wanted to see each other, but both of them were too nervous to do anything about it.

I had to quit at 35%.  The characters were on my nerves.  I felt like I was reading a teenage drama romance rather than one written about adults.  Labeling people in the club as "elbow guy" and "pullover guy" should have been a hint to me that this book wasn't really going to be for me.  I think what really pushed me over the edge were the times when Jeff would hide from her.  I guess burning buildings aren't as scary as women.

This book just wasn't for me.  I wasn't a fan of the writing and I really was annoyed with the characters.  Maybe it got better later on, but I wasn't willing to invest any more time on it.

Livvie's Song (River of Hope #1) - Sharlene MacLaren

I've read a couple of books by this author in the past.  While she probably isn't one of my very favorites, her books have been enjoyable.  This one isn't really something that I would usually pick up, but between the author and the setting, I decided to give it a chance.

Livvie runs a restaurant in Wabash, Indiana.  Her husband died in a tragic accident in front of the restaurant about a year ago.  Her cook is getting ready to leave to join his family near Chicago and she has to make sure that the restaurant stays open so she can raise her two boys.

Will has just gotten out of prison for burglary.  He hops a freight car and heads for a place he's only heard about.  The place has its own song, so it must be a great place, right? Once he arrives, he needs to find a job and a place to live.  He doesn't plan on telling anyone about his past if he can help it, but he's given his life to God and decides that he won't keep it a secret.

Personally, I got about 10% in before I decided to put it down.  I wasn't interested in the characters at all at that point.  Maybe it got better later on, but I had to force myself to make it to 10%.  It's not my usual time period, but I think I might have picked it up because of the setting.  I used to live in Indiana and it may have drawn me in.  I thought that it was a slow start and it just wasn't for me.

Long Trail Home (Texas Trail #3) - Vickie McDonough

This is the third book in this series.  It is also my first time reading this particular author. For more information on this series, see my post on Book 1, Lone Star Trail.

In this installment, we read the story of Riley Morgan.  He's coming back from the war between the states and is coming home to horrible news.  His family has been killed by Indians and he finds out that his fiance has decided not to wait for him and has married someone else.

Annie had a rough childhood.  Her father taught her to be a pickpocket and it was the way they lived.  When Annie is abandoned by her father, she ends up at a school for the blind. Unfortunately, she isn't able to live there unless she is blind, so the lies begin.  After years of making everyone believe that she is blind, her world is turned upside down when Laura, the owner of the school, hires Riley to do some work around the school.

As Annie tries to hide her sight from Riley, she comes to find out that he is a good man and someone she could fall in love with.  The secret between them could cause everything they have to come crashing down.

As with the other two I have read in the series, I enjoyed this book.  The characters were pleasant and I liked them.  This book, as well as the others I have read, are easily read in order or alone.  Little details here and there link the books together, but there is nothing there that merits reading them in order.  The only complaint I have is I really did not like the cover for some reason.

I'm planning on continuing watching out for the rest of the series.  Recently I was also able to pick up the fifth, Cowgirl Trail.  I'll keep my eyes open for the other two.

Lady of Milkweed Manor - Julie Klassen

This was one of the books on my watch list.  I was excited when it dropped in price, I have read four other books by this author and enjoyed them all.

Charlotte is an unwed, pregnant woman that has been cast out by her family.  She ends up at a home for unwed mothers where she comes to see a side of society that she hadn't known existed.  She also meets up with Daniel, a friend of hers from when she was younger.

Daniel is a doctor now and working at the home for unwed mothers that means so much to his father.  Seeing Charlotte brings of memories of his past where he once imagined that she could love him.  Her father put a stop to any such thoughts.  Daniel was not good enough.

Daniel's wife is dealing with some pregnancy related mania and is being kept at the home for unwed mothers with Charlotte and the others.  It's reminded me of Jane Eyre the way that my sympathies ended up hoping that something happened to the wife so Daniel and Charlotte could be together.  I felt guilty about it, but there you are.

There's also the breastfeeding.  It is everywhere in this book.  While I breastfed my children, I really had no desire to read a book about the topic.  Chalk it up to the prude in me.

I have to say that out of all of this author's books, I honestly didn't like this one.  At the end of Part I, I put the book down and didn't pick it back up again for 3 days.  I wasn't sure I wanted to go on, but I hoped that it would get better.  It didn't.  The happy ending that I require in the books I read was kind of there, but it was a no win situation and I wasn't sure how I felt at the end of the book.

Overall, I do plan on keeping track of this author in the future.  I'll just keep a closer eye on the summaries of the books before I watch it.  It was a well written book, but just not for me.

A Bid for Love (Love Series #1, Cassi and Jared) - Rachel Ann Nunes

I picked this book up when I was getting a little low on books to read on my Kindle.  It was free and looked like it might be interesting.

Cassi works for an art gallery and is headed to an auction to acquire a really ugly Buddha statue for her boss.  Her boss really wants this statue and his instructions strike Cassi as suspicious.  While she is preparing for the auction, she runs into Jared and isn't really looking her best.

Jared also works at a gallery and is under similar instructions from his boss, except that he is to acquire the statue no matter what it takes.  He is captivated by Cassi, wondering if she is more than what she appears.

A mysterious note before the auction makes Cassi believe that Jared may be using scare tactics to keep people, especially her, from bidding on the statue.  When it comes up for sale, Cassi has to leave during the bidding to help her friend.  While Jared wins the statue, his problems are just beginning.

Hiding out from people that seem intent on getting the statue for themselves, Jared and Cassi team up to find out what could possibly be that important about it.  Working together shows them both something they have been missing.  Love.

I thought that this was a nice little book.  It was entertaining and a quick read for me. There are more in this series.  Apparently, their happily ever after hasn't really happened yet, but I'm not planning on following the series.  Maybe because it's a contemporary romance, I just can't say for sure.  I'm a historical girl at heart and it takes a lot to get me interested in contemporary.  There are only a few authors that have gotten my devotion over the years.  It was a good book, but there just wasn't anything in there that caused me to want to continue the story past this point.  Good Book!

Captive Trail (Texas Trail #2) - Susan Page Davis

After finishing the first book in this series, Lone Star Trail, I was able to pick up this second book for $0.99.  This book is the first that I have read by this author.  I have seen her name pop up in the past and wondered about trying one of her books.  This was the perfect opportunity.  For more about this peculiar series with six titles and three authors, see the review for Lone Star Trail.

Taabe has been with the Comanche for 12 years.  She is finally presented with an opportunity to escape and takes it.  Most captives eventually give up or forget their old life, but not Taabe.  She flees on a horse and makes it pretty far before her horse steps in a hole and throws her to the ground.  She is hurt but manages to make it to the road before collapsing.

Ned is a stagecoach driver and is worried at first that the bundle in the road is meant to be an ambush.  His passengers, a few nuns, decide that the risk is worth it to help the poor soul lying in the road.  Feeling a strange connection to the girl, Ned is determined to help her find her family, but he also grows attached to her.

As Taabe becomes more adept at communicating, the nuns and Ned come to learn more about her past.  Taabe knows that the man she has rejected will come after her.  She has seen his cruelty in tracking down runaways before.  She trusts Ned, but still fears the Comanche coming after her.

The more she learns, the more she remembers about who she was.  She holds back a particular secret about her life with the Comanche for a long time.  She worries that Ned will not be as nice to her and she relies on his friendship.  These two fall in love, but finding Taabe's family may disrupt any future they could have with each other.

Taabe is Billie from book 1, the girl that was abducted by the Comanche in the prologue. True to the premise of the series, this book can be read alone with no issues.  You find Jud in this book, but it's not necessary to read these in order.  I have also picked up the third one, Long Trail Home, for $0.99.  This will be another new author for me, but I look forward to continuing the series.  Good Book!

Lone Star Trail (Texas Trail #1) - Darlene Franklin

This book was free for a time and it looked like something I would like to read.  This is a new author for me and I was unsure what to expect.

Wande and her family have traveled to Texas from Germany to claim land in the New Germany, a land flowing with milk and honey.  Wande is looking forward to being reunited with her fiance, who she hasn't heard from in a while.  Unfortunately, upon arrival, it seems like all they seem to encounter is hardship, heartache and sickness.  When they get close to Victoria, their wagon overturns and they are left to rely on the kindness they can find.

Jud is a descendant of the man who first bred the Morgan horse.  He has been in charge of the ranch since his father died and is dismayed at the amount of Germans that seem to be taking over his beloved Texas.  His first instinct is to leave the Germans on the side of the road, but thanks to his mother and sister, they end up living at his house for a time.

As time goes by, Wande and her family become important to the Morgan family.  An accident gives Wande a job inside the house helping with chores and her brother helps out with the horses.  Their little sister, Alvie, is a reminder of Jud's sister, Billie, who was taken by Indians when she was young.  The presence of Alvie helps to heal Jud's heart.

Jud eventually gets past his prejudice of the Germans enough to see that the people in this German family are good people and can be good friends if he would just let them.  He finds himself seeing Wande as more of a potential bride than an intruder in his Texas.

I enjoyed this book.  It was a complete story with the epilogue to wrap up all the characters in the book.  It wasn't all that original, but overall a nice little book with a happy ending.

I did a little research on this series and it's an interesting one.  It involves six novels written by three different authors.  It spans four generations of the Morgan family between 1845-1896.  Each book is supposedly written so it can be read alone.  I looked and the next one in the series, Captive Trail, was only $0.99.  It is written by Susan Page Davis, another new author for me, but I decided to snatch it up.  Apparently, this one is about Billie, Jud's sister.  I'm anxious to see how it all ties together.

The rest of the series is currently on my watch list.  The four other books in the series are: Long Trail Home, A Ranger's Trail, Cowgirl Trail and End of the Trail.  I'll keep an eye out for them.  Regardless of whether or not I end up reading/enjoying the rest of the series, this one definitely gets my Good Book! review.

Tidewater Inn (Hope Beach #1) - Colleen Coble

I was amazed when this book popped up for $1.99 and snatched it up before it popped right back up in price!  If you've read any of my reviews for this author, you know she's one of my favorites.

Libby loves history and is in the business of preserving historical buildings with her friend, Nicole.  They have been given the task of checking out some places on the Outer Banks. Nicole has been checking things out alone and breaks the news that an attorney has been looking for Libby.  Her father lived there and left her an inheritance.  He also left a family. The news is shocking to Libby, but not nearly as shocking as watching her friend get kidnapped before her eyes on a beach webcam.

Alec works for the Coast Guard and has been asked to help with the search.  He's lived on the island most of his life and loves it there.  The sheriff happens to be Alec's cousin and he's asked Alec to keep an eye on Libby.  He believes that she may be capable of getting rid of Nicole.  Libby believes that she's going to have to take the investigation in her own hands, not only to find Nicole but also to clear her own name.  Alec gives her the benefit of the doubt and tries to help her whenever he can.

Her new "family" is less than welcoming and Libby has a lot on her plate.  Between dealing with her new inheritance, her new siblings, the kidnapping of her friend and being accused of being involved, Libby really could use a friend.  The feelings that grow between Alec and Libby are dealt with in a generally realistic way.  They can't be falling all over each other with tragedies and kidnappings happening around them.

This was Coble at her best.  It had romance, intrigue and a villain that I thought I had figured out.  We catch up with Bree, Kade and Davy from the Rock Harbor series.  They are visiting the island and I thought it was a great idea to incorporate them into the story. You would not need to read that series to understand anything in this one.

The next book in the Hope Beach series comes out next summer, Rosemary Cottage.  I'm not sure that I agree with the author's decision to release books in different series all jumbled together.  I would think that for the sake of the loyal readers, it would be better to finish out one series before getting all involved in another one, but I suppose that is just personal preference on my part.  Nevertheless, this one gets my Good Book! review!

Courting Morrow Little - Laura Frantz

In the past, I had picked up The Frontiersman's Daughter, also by this author, but was unable to get through it.  I picked this one up.  I hate to say it, but the cover sucked me in.

Morrow has had a tough childhood.  When the Shawnee attacked her home, her mother and young sister were killed and her brother disappeared.  Now it's just Morrow and her father.  She has been off to visit her aunt.  It was only meant to be a month, but it has turned into a two year visit due to the war.

Upon her return to Kentucky, Morrow finds that some things have changed.  Her father is now sickly and her friends seem to view her somewhat differently.  Some things have stayed the same though.  The Shawnee boy that Morrow's father helped save and his father are still coming to the cabin at times, frightening Morrow.

Now that Morrow is 18, she is being pursued by some men at the fort.  A particular major seems like he's not going to give up.  Morrow finds out some information about his past atrocities and has no interest in him, but the man doesn't take a hint.  Another man in town is interested but doesn't want to get in the major's way.  And then there is Red Shirt, the Shawnee boy that has grown into a handsome man.

Here I am again reading one of those Revolutionary War era books.  I don't read many that I enjoy at all and this one was no exception.  I didn't have any issues getting through it, but the romance part of the story, to me, was over about halfway through.  We don't stop at a marriage in this book.  We have more to conquer before we get anything that resembles a happily ever after.  Knowing anything about history, you realize that eventually this isn't going to be a happily ever after.

I really need to just give up on this era.  I need my happily ever afters, and I don't think that I'm going to get them in these books.  The book was well written and the characters easy to sympathize with, I just didn't enjoy it overall.  This is just not my kind of book.

Becoming Lucy (Winds Across the Prairie #1) - Martha Rogers

This book popped up for less than $2.  This is a new author for me and I thought it worth the money to give her a chance since it seemed like her books popped up on my recommendations a lot.

Lucinda has just lost her family.  She is 17 and decided that it would be best for her to move in with her aunt and uncle until she turns 18 and comes into her inheritance.  She also would like to get away from her uncle, who feels like that money should be his.

From the moment she arrives in Oklahoma, her gaze is drawn to Jake, a man working on her uncle's ranch.  He is handsome, but he's not a Christian, so Lucinda's aunt and uncle talk to her about guarding her heart.  Even though they look on Jake as a son, they wouldn't want to have to send him away to protect Lucinda's heart.

Jake has a dreadful secret that he has kept from everyone.  Lucinda's uncle has given him a Bible and an open invitation to talk to him about God, but Jake isn't so sure.  He comes to love Lucinda, but knows that with the secret between them, there can't be any future.

Coming to Christ, Jake realizes that he needs to clear his conscience and face the consequences of what he's done.  He wants Lucinda to wait for him, but he's not sure that he'll be coming back.  It's a long ride to Texas and there is no telegraph in the small town that Lucinda lives near.

While she waits, Lucinda's aunt and uncle await word of Jake, but they wonder if maybe they should encourage Luke, a young man from town who has his eye on Lucinda.  There is also some nastiness from the townsfolk when they find out about what Jake has done and they blame the family.

I found it to be an enjoyable enough book, but there was something about the flow of it that bothered me.  We read about the uncle willing to do anything to get Lucinda out of the way, but the attempts on her life were incredibly far apart.  And the final showdown was just weird.  The timing and the way it was written was almost like it was crammed in there.  I also found the pressure to consider moving on from Jake after only two months and no news to be unrealistic.  I also had two chapter 28s, not the author's fault.

All in all, it was worth the money.  There are 4 books in the series and also a prequel and a Christmas book. I don't plan on watching for any of them, but if they popped up for free, I might pick them up.  I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.  Decent book.

Demon: A Memoir - Tosca Lee

This was an unusual buy for me.  When it comes to intense Christian suspense, I normally stick to Ted Dekker.  Seeing this book by Tosca Lee up for $2.99 was a temptation I couldn't pass up.  She is co-writing The Book of Mortals series with Dekker, so I had hopes for more of the edgy thought-provoking writing that I had read in Forbidden (Mortal is still a little too pricey for me right now).  I was not disappointed.

Clay is a recently divorced book editor that is approached by Lucian, a demon.  Lucian wants Clay to write and publish his story.  Clay is wary at first, but when Lucian tells him that it is also his story, Clay is curious to know what that means.  His attention to the story becomes an obsession that causes him to look on things in our world in a different way.

Lucian tells the story of the fall of Lucifer, the creation and the birth and life of Jesus from the perspective of the demons.  Once angels themselves, suddenly they are dammed. They also are second-rate to these mud men that God has made.  They see God's love for these creations that ignore and disobey God over and over and the demons hate them.  They only did one thing wrong and they are damned.  The mud men make many mistakes and are forgiven over and over.

The attention to detail in this book is incredible.  I read it in two sittings.  The demon changes form every time he meets with Clay.  The recollections of the events from the Bible were so well written I could well imagine that I could see them the way that Clay had. The ending was one that had me impressed well after I put the book down.

If you read this book, be sure to read past the last page.  The "interesting facts" were a very cool addition and I enjoyed reading them.  There is also an explanation by the author why she wrote the book and what she used as references.  This isn't a diet book that you can read while doing other tasks.  This book makes you think and if you aren't paying attention, you might miss an important detail.  And remember: You have a choice to make. Great Book!

To Whisper Her Name (Belle Meade Plantation #1) - Tamera Alexander

Tamera Alexander is a great author, but her books rarely drop in price.  I try to keep an eye out to see if I can look out for new books and I was surprised when I saw that I could pre-order this for $4.99.  I snatched it up and waited patiently for the release date, especially since I have been running low on Kindle books.

Olivia is going to live with her "aunt" who was a close friend of her mother's.  Olivia's husband has just been murdered for being a crook and traitor to the south.  He was hardly a loving, caring husband to Olivia, but she is now paying the price for his actions.  She has been rejected by Nashville society and is now on her way to Belle Meade Plantation.

When we meet Ridley Cooper, he is fighting in the Civil War.  Being from South Carolina, his family expected him to fight for the south, but Ridley's conscience wouldn't allow that. He comes across a man from the Belle Meade plantation that is hiding some of the horses from the Belle Meade Plantation.  Ridley allows the man to take the horses, but is captured by Confederate soldiers as he leaves the mountain.

Olivia and Ridley meet when the carriage that Olivia is riding to the plantation is overturned.  She is saved and now is trapped in the carriage.  Terrified of horses, her scream draws the attention of Ridley and they become friends.  Ridley is there to learn how to train the horses from the man he met on the mountain.  He is sworn to secrecy, because if the General finds out that Ridley fought for the north, both Ridley's and the trainer's life could be in danger.

Olivia and Ridley fall in love, but he is determined to head to the Colorado Territory.  He has land waiting for him and he has a set amount of time to improve the land.  Olivia is just as determined to stay in Tennessee.  The secret that lies between them make the situation impossible.  Ridley can't betray the trainer, but he doesn't like holding the secret from Olivia.

In the end, I did enjoy this book, but it seemed to be a little longer than these types of books usually are.  I thought there were details in there that didn't need to be there, but the story was great.  The history was interesting and I love horses, so all those details didn't bother me at all.  I can't find evidence of more books for this series.  The author has another series she's writing, the Belmont Mansion novels, and the next one of those is supposed to come out in fall of 2013.  On the author's website, it labels To Whisper Her Name as one of the Belle Meade novels, so there is the possibility of more in the future.  I give this my Good Book! review.

Restless Hearts - Marta Perry - DTB

This little paperback was in pretty bad shape when it was donated to the church library. Since its condition prevented it being added to the collection, I held on to it for a while so that I could read it.  It looked like one of those diet books that are entertaining enough to keep me occupied for a few hours.

Fiona Flanagan has had a rough childhood and has now decided to return to her roots in Pennsylvania Dutch country.  Hoping to set up business as a midwife for both the English and the Amish, she has a rude awakening when she is interrogated by the local sheriff upon arrival in town.

Ted left the Amish way of life and is now the local lawman in a small quiet town.  Problem is, it isn't as quiet as it once was.  Vandalism is starting to become a frequent occurrence and Ted must get to the bottom of it no matter what.

Fiona is getting to know her father's family and has no obvious reasons for seeking her mother's family.  They apparently disowned her when she left the Amish and married Fiona's father.  A seemingly harmless act reveals her mother's family and their avoidance of her hurts Fiona more than she cares to admit.

Ted and Fiona come to care for each other, but Ted has been betrayed in the past and has issues with trust.  When the vandalism escalates and hits too close to home, will Fiona help or will she be too afraid of the consequences to do the right thing?

I normally avoid the books that deal with the Amish.  This book tried to have some action in it, but it fell a little flat.  It was a good enough book to keep me occupied for a day or two, but that's about it.  There seems to be a whole series revolving around the Flanagans, but I don't plan on reading any more.

Immanuel's Veins - Ted Dekker - DTB

I have a great respect for Ted Dekker and what he's accomplished.  He's written in more than one genre successfully for years.  I personally own over 20 of his books and have read even more.  This book seems to address today's fascination with vampires.

Toma is a warrior, sent by Catherine the Great, to protect a family in Moldavia.  The mother and twin sisters live in a grand house and are free with their feelings and actions. Warned by an old man with a crow, Toma and his traveling companion, Alek, are told that an evil is coming.  Alek plans on entertaining his own desires while Toma has promised Catherine the Great that he will remain detached.

Once they arrive, it is evident that Natasha is the more wild of the sisters.  Lucine has had a terrible past and is more wary with her feelings.  There is a party at their home that is attended by a couple of people that are very open with their stares - "undressing with their eyes" is the way it is described.  Offense is taken, one man is shot in the head, and the leader, Vlad, takes the rest of the staring people back to their castle.

Toma begins to feel a love for Lucine, but Natasha and now Alek are disappearing up to the castle of Vlad and he needs to know why.  He fears something sinister, but when he goes there to investigate, the alluring women lure him in and he ends up drinking the blood they offer.  Lucine sees him under the influence of the blood and fears that she has misjudged him.

The sensual aspect of this book is something that I couldn't get used to.  To me, it was reminiscent of the Underworld series.  Dark, sensual and violent.  Not really something that I enjoy.

I never did like the whole vampire genre, so it's not shocking that I was unable to finish this book.  It pains me that after all the Ted Dekker books I have read and enjoyed, this is the first one that I haven't been able to finish.  There have been books of his that I have enjoyed more than others, but I usually am engaged enough in the story that I feel the urge to find out what happened.

With much pain, I give this book a bad review.  I don't plan on avoiding Dekker in the future, he's a good author.  I suppose if you really enjoy vampires and that sort of thing, you might enjoy it.  I personally did not.

Heart Full of Love - Colleen Coble

This is another one of Coble's novellas that has recently been released in digital form.  It was $0.99.  This is my third one, Belinda and A Match Made in Heaven being the other 2.

We begin with conflict between Eden and Josh.  Eden is a foster mother and has adopted little Katie.  Josh is Katie's only remaining family, but up until now, he hadn't known of Katie's existence.  He is determined to do what it takes to get her with him.

Josh realizes that Eden isn't going to give up easily, so he tries to figure out a way to convince Eden that Katie belongs with him.  When he hears her story of how she was ripped away from her siblings as a child, he decides that if he can help her find them, that she will be more willing to give up guardianship of Katie to him.

While they spend time together, Josh comes to realize that Eden is a very caring person and starts to lose his heart to her.  He tries to fight it as long as he can, he needs to focus on getting Katie.  Eden is somewhat wary of his motivation at first, but Josh is good with the kids and maybe he does care for her after all.

This book is short, but it is a novella.  You're left with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end regarding Eden's siblings.  These novellas seem to have been part of other collections, so I doubt there is a sequel.  The characters from Belinda show up in this novella, but they are more convenient babysitters than anything else, and I almost missed the connection.  It's not necessary to read one before the other.

I did enjoy the book.  I just wished that it was longer.  The ending was a little rushed and it left me wanting more.  I'm keeping my eye out for more of this author's out-of-print books to come out digitally.  Good Book!

A Veiled Reflection (Westward Chronicles #3) - Tracie Peterson

Finishing off a series.  A Shelter of Hope and Hidden in a Whisper were the first two.

Jillian has been convinced by her twin sister to take her place at the Harvey House in Arizona.  Judith wants to get married, but Mr. Harvey frowns upon girls that don't fulfill their contracts and Judith is afraid that he will demand some of her wages back.  Judith doesn't have the money, she has given it to her fiance to help start his business.  Judith pleads until Jillian agrees to leave her posh existence and head for the desert.

It doesn't take long for Jillian to show her lack of experience and she ends up cutting her hand.  When she is forced to the doctor's office, he insists on inspecting Judith's "burn." Finding nothing on Jillian's arm, she has to come clean about the situation.  Mac agrees to keep her secret.

Mac has been hurt in the past by a woman and has sworn off looking for love.  There's something about Jillian that stirs his heart.  He can't understand how he could look on one sister as a friend and want to be much more with Jillian.

The Navajo are being forced to abandon their traditions and their troubles spill over to the town.  Jillian wants to help.  She may come from a rich family, but she can still see that these people need compassion and love just like anyone else.

Misunderstandings come between Jillian and Mac a few times and Jillian's lies become a problem for those around her.  She eventually knows that she's going to have to tell the truth if she wants to avoid going back to Kansas City and living the society life that her mother and father want her to have.

Although I did enjoy this book, I have to say that Jillian and Mac were not the characters that I expected this final book in the series to be about.  I was hoping to hear more about Una from book 1 or Gwen from book 2.  To clarify, Gwen is a character in the third book, as is Zack from book 1.  I guess that it ties it all together in a way, but I just wished there was more of a consistent thread in the series.  The first two set up the opportunity for that, it just didn't happen to my satisfaction, even with the appearance of the Gwen and Zack. Good Book!

Hidden in a Whisper (Westward Chronicles #2) - Tracie Peterson

After finishing A Shelter of Hope, I went on to read the next book in the series.  My lack of other Kindle books to read probably influenced that decision, but I still wanted to read more of this series.

Rachel was a good friend to Simone, the heroine of book 1.  Now Rachel is working in the new resort town of Morita to make sure that Fred Harvey's restaurant runs smoothly.  Her big surprise is when her former fiance, Braeden, is the new hotel's manager.  Rachel treats him with anger and scorn when he is just trying to clear his name and win back the heart of the only woman he's ever loved.

Minor things seem to go missing, like linens and random things.  Their importance comes into play later on.  The lady benefactress insists that her niece be a Harvey Girl, even though all she wants is to marry a rich man and get away from the desert town.  The niece, Ivy, is bound and determined to create a rift between Braeden and Rachel and will stop at nothing to make things the way she wants them.

Personally, I'm a little torn about this book.  I was irritated at Rachel for the first half of the book.  The way that she never allowed Braeden to explain in the prologue was just unreal. If you love someone, even if you are slow to trust, you still want to hear what the other person's explanation is even if you don't believe what they say afterwards.  Either way, just walking away was just unrealistic.  Another issue I had was most of the ending.  How many crazy people can you get in one place at one time?  It was just weird.

*Something of a Spoiler* The death of the aunt struck me as odd as well.  You would think that since she was purposely confronting someone, she would at least try to use her cane to fend them off, instead of just backing off the staircase.  It's a bit of a spoiler, but it just really bugged me. There was also the matter of the theft of the monogrammed linens and such.  I still am unsure how that was a good addition to the story.

In the end, I did enjoy reading the story, but I could have enjoyed it more had there been a little more thought put into the reality of it all.  If I looked past the unrealistic aspect of it all, it was an enjoyable little read.  My last Kindle book that I have right now is the third book in the series, A Veiled Reflection.  It's next on my list to read and I'm hoping that this end to the series is a good one.  Decent Book!

A Shelter of Hope (Westward Chronicles #1) - Tracie Peterson

I'm always a little wary when I start a series by Tracie Peterson.  Not because of her writing, I think that she is a great author, she just seems to write trilogies that are a continuous story and I really am not a large fan of those.  I bought all three of these some time ago when the price dropped.  I figured if it was a continuous story, at least I would have the whole thing.  It was just a matter of dedicating the time to read all three.

Simone lives up in the mountains with her father.  In the prologue, we find out that her father beats her mother and Simone on a regular basis.  Her mother has had enough and plans to run away and try to get help.  Simone is left behind because she is recovering from measles and is too weak to travel.  Her mother never returns.  When Simone gets old enough, her father is tired of his ever decreased trap business and has decided to sell the whole thing, including Simone, to some random stranger so he can go make his fortune mining gold in Colorado.

Simone decides that she is not going to stand for a grimy man taking her as his "wife" and fights back when he comes after her.  Hitting him over the head with a pitcher, she believes that she has killed him and flees.  She doesn't know that most people are not beat by their fathers and that there are men out there that are not lechers.  She is able to make her way to Chicago where she interviews for a job as a Harvey girl.  Fred Harvey had a chain of restaurants on the Santa Fe line that gave train passengers an elegant meal during their brief train stops.

Jeffrey interviews Simone and knows that there is something more to her than meets the eye.  His mother would like nothing better than for him to marry well and take his place in society, but he wants none of that life.  He pursues her and eventually finds out that she has a lot more secrets than he even suspects.

Simone is going to have to make peace with her past instead of running from it.  She's also going to have to make peace with God.  Her father is after her, he now has a new plan to make money, and this one involves Simone doing all the work for him.  She's also got a lawman after her who is trying to prove to his father that he can finish something and finally make him proud.  His investigations will be frustrating and force him to accept that everything may not be as it seems.

I have to admit that I almost didn't finish this book.  About 20% in, we were still spending a lot of time on Simone's back story, and it was a really depressing back story.  I went back to the summary on amazon and made sure that I was reading the book that I thought I was.  When I realized it was, I kept reading and soon we were in Chicago.

As usual, it was an excellent book by a great author and I was glad to read it.  Simone's story is satisfactorily complete, so if I wanted to, I could quit now and not feel like the story was unfinished.  If she reappears in the next books, that's okay as well.  I'm currently reading the next book in the series, Hidden in a Whisper, which follows Rachel, a character from this book.  I look forward to her story.  Good Book!

Wings of a Dream - Anne Mateer

As I was getting down to my last few Kindle books, I saw this one pop up for free and decided to give this new author a chance.  I was a little wary since some reviews had said that the book was pretty sad.

Rebekah longs for adventure and thinks that she has found that in the form of Arthur, an aviator who is leaving Oklahoma for Texas. She hasn't known him very long, but he puts butterflies in her stomach and provides an escape from the suitors that her mother seems to think suitable for her.

A telegram arrives informing them that Rebekah's aunt, Adabelle, is ill with influenza and Rebekah offers to go to Texas and look after her.  Rebekah's plan is to help out her aunt and then enlist her help in getting to Arthur.  What she finds upon arrival in Texas is not at all what she expects. With her aunt on death's door and four children in the house, it looks like Rebekah's dreams will be put on hold. It seems that Aunt Adabelle is looking after the children while their father is in France.

Arthur isn't what he seems to be and the sheriff in town seems to be sweet on Rebekah. She doesn't feel anything for him but friendship, but wonders if he might actually be what God had in mind for her life.  The sheriff wants to be a Texas Ranger and that would grant her the measure of adventure she craved, wouldn't it?

This story is very complex and interesting.  It's told from the first person, which is not the norm for what I read, but I found it a nice change and it helped me relate to the character more.  There is a lot of sadness in this one.  It is written around the end of the first World War and on top of that, it coincides with the epidemic of the Spanish flu.

I liked the characters and the plot.  For some reason, the sadness didn't bother me as much as it normally did.  I think it might have something to do with the fact that we don't really get to know the characters that die very well.  If you don't like books with a lot of death, you might want to avoid it.  The only small qualm I had with it was the ending. It just seemed a little abrupt.  The author released another book at the beginning of September, At Every Turn.  I have put it on my watch list. It seems like another good read. Good Book!

Hannah Grace (The Daughters of Jacob Kane #1) - Sharlene MacLaren - DTB

This book has been on my watch list for a while, but I didn't read it on my Kindle. Someone was kind enough to donate this book to my church library and I read it in DTB form.  Let me just tell you something: I am spoiled.  I missed being able to read while I folded laundry and I found it incredibly annoying to have to hold the book the entire time!  I am so spoiled...

I've read one other book by this author, Loving Liza Jane, which is book 1 in the Little Hickman Series.  I have the rest of that series as well as this series on my watch list.

Hannah Grace feels that she is the least pretty of her sisters.  She works in her father's general store and is practically engaged the town doctor.  The only thing he seems to be in love with is himself, but Hannah refuses to see that she doesn't love him.

Gabe is the town's new sheriff and he arrives in town with a little surprise.  Jesse, a scruffy looking little boy, has hidden in the back of Gabe's wagon.  When Gabe tries to buy the little boy some new clothes, Hannah sees the bruises on the boy and suspects the worst. Once she finds out that he's the sheriff and he has the best intentions, the two join forces.  Hannah takes care of Jesse during the day and Gabe takes him home at night.

Jesse isn't talking because he's on the run from a gang of criminals.  He witnessed a murder and the gang knows that he saw them.  They've been trying to track him down and make sure that he'll never be able to testify.  The gang is heading to Gabe's quiet town.

I enjoyed this book.  It was an engaging story that I would have had a harder time putting down had it been on my Kindle.  Since it was a normal book, I was forced to put it down more than I wanted to.  I hope that other books by this author drop in price.  She seems to be a really good author and I would like to be able to read more from her.  Good Book!

Tall, Dark, and Determined (Husbands for Hire #2) - Kelly Eileen Hake

I read the first book in this series, Rugged and Relentless, about a year ago and planned on putting the next one on my watch list, but at that time, it had no ASIN number and I subsequently forgot to keep an eye out for it.  As I was browsing through the price drops on eReaderIQ, I saw this one and picked it up for less than $5.

This is the continuing story of Lacey, Evie, Cora and Naomi, who have come to the wilderness to start up the town of Hope Falls.  The mine collapse has left Lacey's brother, who is also Cora's fiance, a broken man, both physically and emotionally.  Evie has found love, but the other women are slow to give their approval of the marriage.  All marriages are to have a vote and Jake hasn't quite passed the test since he has not been especially forthcoming about who he is.

Chase has come to town trying to find out what happened at the mine.  The collapse has left his sister's husband dead and left her destitute.  He's after the truth of what happened and suspects that everything is not what it seems in Hope Falls.  He suspects that the women are involved and that they have an impostor in the house recovering.  If he's not an impostor, it must mean that Braden was somehow involved in the collapse of the mine. Not wanting to believe that they are capable of it, he keeps finding evidence that seems to point to his theories.

Lacey is a major hurdle to his investigations.  She always seems to find a way to get under his skin and they spend more time fighting than getting along.  Lacey feels betrayed by her friends when they go behind her back and hire Chase on to keep an eye on the town while Jake takes the man who killed his brother back to Maine.

The two are barely able to find common ground and most conversations end up in arguments.  Assumptions and misunderstandings are abundant.  Lacey is frustrated that using her womanly wiles on Chase doesn't work and Chase's blunt statements of truth are sometimes hard to take.  The more he believes his absurd theories, the reader knows that it's all going to go badly when he reveals them to the others.  I found myself cringing once or twice.

I did enjoy the book, but I have to admit to getting a little annoyed with Lacey on more than one occasion.  In fact, there were a lot of times that she was showing just how naive she was or speaking her mind without really thinking about what she was saying, even to her friends.  If she didn't get her way, it was more of a 'woe is me' attitude.  Once she kind of got her act together, I wasn't as irritated.

In the end, I did like this book.  The continuing story of the reason for the mine collapse is the reason that I recommend that these books be read in order.  A lot of the important issues from the first book are included as flashbacks in this book, but I would still recommend reading Rugged and Relentless first.  The third book in the series, Strong and Stubborn, is available November 1 and is on my watch list.  It's the story of Naomi, the oldest of the women, finding love.  I look forward to reading it.  Good Book!

Plains of Promise (Wyoming #2) - Colleen Coble

This is one of Colleen Coble's older books that are being released digitally and since I enjoyed Where Leads the Heart, I was glad to be able to continue the series.  This one was available for $2.99.

Emmie is the sister of Ben Croftner, the villain of the first book.  Emmie has been trying to escape from the reputation of her family her entire life.  She finally feels like she has someone who loves her for who she is, marries him and settles down to enjoy her life.  A tragic carriage accident kills her husband and his real widow shows up on her doorstep.  Discovering that she wasn't really married and has no means of support, Emmie finds out about Sarah, (our heroine from book 1) who needs a companion and helper while she is pregnant.

Emmie travels west and fits in well.  A handsome officer, Isaac (also introduced in the first book) appears to be interested in Emmie, but after what she has been through, she wants to have nothing to do with men ever again.  Her heart doesn't want to live without love and so she is forced to deal with her past.

A promise made without thinking it through is what ends up tripping up Emmie in this story.  She never thought that she would have to follow through when she made it and when it seems like she's going to have to, she is sad to learn that she may not have the happiness that she has so recently found.

I did enjoy this book, but I have to say that I wish that Isaac had been a little more developed.  We learned so much about Emmie and there were glimpses of Isaac, but not enough in my opinion.  There were a lot of repeat characters from the first book, and for that reason, I think that this series should be read in order.  The next book, The Heart Answers, is not available yet.  I'm going to keep my eyes open for more of this author's books to pop up digitally.  Good Book!

Gentleman of Her Dreams - Jen Turano

I decided the read this free novella to see if I wanted to add this author's upcoming release, A Change of Fortune, to my price drop list.

Charlotte has asked God for a husband, and she thinks that He has answered in the form of Hamilton Beckett, a widower with children.  Charlotte has a tendency to get herself into trouble - a lot.  Her antics have even landed her best friend, Henry, in jail in the past.

As Charlotte begins to put her plan to win Hamilton's heart into action, Henry returns from being away for two years.  Believing that Mr. Beckett is what Charlotte really wants, he vows to help her any way he can, even though his feelings for her are more than friendly.

These two have the most unbelievable things happen to them.  I found that I could deal with the ridiculous situations with no issues, although I have my doubts about the "boat" scene on the Hudson River.  I don't think a boat in that shape would have made it very far without the problems they encounter.  It didn't really bother me though.

The part that bothered me was the moment Henry picks to tell Charlotte his true feelings.  I had to go back and read it about three times trying to figure out what set him off.  I'm still not 100% sure.  I also find it hard to believe that being friends since they were 4, neither of them let on that they were in love with each other.  Henry left because he started to feel like a burden to her because she sighed when it was their turn to dance.  I can't believe that he wouldn't make some sort of comment, "Oh, so you don't wish to dance?" or something along those lines, even in a joking manner.  These two seem to tease each other all the time.  Instead he leaves for two years?

We do get introduced briefly to the heroine of A Change of Fortune, Lady Eliza Sumner.  I went ahead and put it on my watch list.  There is an excerpt from the novel at the end of this novella, so it's worth it just to give the novel a try.  Overall, I did like this story, but I'm a hopeless romantic, so even though I have some reservations about the reveal, I did enjoy reading this.  Good Novella!

Walker's Wedding - Lori Copeland

I picked this one up for less than $5.  I can usually depend on this author to give me a good read.

We begin by reading about how little Walker wants to think about marriage.  His friend is telling him that he needs an heir for his ranch, but Walker feels like he has all the time in the world to worry about that.  Immediately after proclaiming about how much time he has, he gets horribly gored by a bull.  Rethinking his mortality causes him to send for a mail-order bride.  Who it is matters little, only the fact that she can bear children.

Sarah has wanted to be married since she was a little girl.  She has just been rescued from a marriage to a man that she's known for a short period of time.  Her father has had enough of her shenanigans and is sending her to her uncle's.  He's an evil man who locks her in a room if she does the smallest thing wrong.  Sarah sneaks away and decides to take a train to New York, but on the ride she meets the intended bride of Walker, who is weeping because she has no desire to marry this man.

Sarah sees this as her opportunity to finally get married, the one thing she has wanted. They trade places and Sarah arrives in town and marries Walker, who barely notices that the name of his bride has changed.  Sarah keeps secret the fact that she has run away from home and that she wasn't sent by the mail-order bride agency.  Walker has been betrayed by a woman in the past and Sarah is afraid of the consequences of telling the truth.

I did enjoy this book.  The price went down even more after I purchased it, but I don't mind too much.  The only issue that I had with the story had to be the villain of the tale.  He really didn't make that much sense at the end.  He was really evil there for a little bit, but magically seemed to grow a conscience.  It was just weird how quick he went from villain to coward.  Other than that, it was a cute little story and I liked the characters.  Good Book!

Veil of Pearls - MaryLu Tyndall

This was a book that I picked up for $1.99 when the price dropped.  I have read two of the books in her Surrender to Destiny series, Surrender the Night being the only one that I have a review for.  I thoroughly enjoyed those and felt like I had found a new author.

We begin with Althea escaping her cruel master on a plantation in Barbados.  He has her ankles in chains so that she is unable to run, but this night has the perfect circumstances for her escape.  A gruff, but not evil captain sees her circumstances and helps her to escape to Charleston.  Changing her name to Adalia, she now has to find some kind of employment and pray that she is never found.

Morgan is a plantation owner and a bit spoiled.  He doesn't realize that slavery is a bad thing and Adalia thinks that she is the one to teach him and bring him back to God.  Morgan is entranced by this common woman who is immune to all his charms.  He eventually gets her to attend some parties and events with him, where his friends are less than happy to see a commoner, especially a lady that has had her cap set for Morgan for a long time.

Adalia works for a pious doctor that reads his Bible all the time but yells at his servants like they are nothing. Adalia, being one-fourth African American, sees the wrongs in slavery, but since she passes as a white woman, she never reveals her heritage.  She falls in love with Morgan, and he with her, with all her secrets between them.  Nefarious people push the issue to where it has to be dealt with.

I have to admit that I was happy when I was done with this book, and not because I enjoyed it.  It was one of those that I trudged through just to see what happened at the end.  I really didn't like the holier-than-thou character of Althea/Adalia.  She spouted God at Morgan while she had stuffed Him into a corner herself.  Acting like she had it all together, she would almost make wrong decisions and a man in a white suit would magically appear and spout Scripture at her before disappearing.  Something about those encounters just didn't sound right.

I have taken the other books by this author that I was tracking off my list, save one.  The third book in the Surrender to Destiny series I will still watch for.  I really did enjoy the first two.  I had thought that maybe this was one of her earlier books, the writing didn't seem to flow very well, but ultimately it's her latest book.  This one just wasn't my cup of tea.

Promised to Me (Coming to America #4) - Robin Lee Hatcher

The last in the Coming to America series, Promised to Me was a book that I approached warily.  I had enjoyed two out of the three previous books, but I was curious who this was about, since the first three novels thoroughly covered the original three friends that came to America together.

There was barely a connection to be had in this book.  In the prologue, we meet Jakob, a man who came to America on the same ship as the three original characters.  He had noticed the friends throughout the journey and that is where the connection ends.  The actual story begins over 10 years later.

Jakob has sent for his childhood sweetheart, Karola, to come and be his wife.  She is thrilled, as Jakob was promised to her before he came to America.  He promised to send for her, and she put her life on hold as she waited for him.  Enduring the ridicule of people around her, Karola was surprised to hear from Jakob after so long.

As Karola steps off the train, she is surprised to see Jakob, but even more so his children.  He claims to have sent a letter warning her of the death of his wife and the fact that he has three children.  Karola is shocked and a little angry that he didn't wait for her.  At the wedding, Karola realizes that she cannot go through with the sham marriage and refuses Jakob.  He is still in need of a caregiver for his children through the harvest, so he asks her to be a housemaid, staying in a nearby cabin.  He tells her that she owes him since he spent a lot of money bringing her to America.

As she spends time with the family, Karola falls in love with the children and with Jakob all over again.  Jakob doesn't really have any interest in falling in love again, but Karola becomes part of his family in such a way that he begins to wonder what they will do without her.

The end to the series is a good one.  I'm not quite sure that this one fits in with the other three.  Those first three had a common thread to them that worked and this one seems like the black sheep in terms of being relative to the others.  Still, it was a nice story that I enjoyed reading.  Good Book!

A Match Made in Heaven - Colleen Coble

This was one of those novellas that I bought for $0.99 and spent a few hours reading.  As I have mentioned in the past, this has to be one of my favorite authors and she's releasing her older novels and novellas digitally.

Nick is an architect and he has an important meeting with a client who insists that he brings a date.  Being new to the area, Nick doesn't know many people and definitely has no interest in a relationship.  He calls an older woman that he met at church and asks for her help.  Grandma sets Nick up with her granddaughter, Callie.

Callie is an interior designer that is about as thrilled to be going on this blind date as Nick is.  They met briefly in a parking lot and it wasn't exactly love at first sight.  At the dinner, Callie shines and ends up getting hired to design the house with Nick.  Unfortunately, Nick thinks that she has just used him to further her career.

Misunderstandings abound in this short book.  Nick and Callie both feel a mutual attraction, but they both also have trust issues.  They enjoy spending time together, but they seem to go to war when working on the house.

It was a great read and a refreshing little novella.  Good Book!

In His Arms (Coming to America #3) - Robin Lee Hatcher

After finishing Patterns of Love, I decided that I needed a break from this series.  The adversity in that book had been depressing.  Dear Lady was the first in the series and I did enjoy that one, so I opened up this third book and gave it a shot.

Mary is the last of the three women that came to America together.  It has been over a year since they arrived and Mary is working as a housemaid.  The lecherous man of the house tries to take liberties with Mary and she bashes him over the head with a silver cigar box and runs away, thinking that she has murdered him.

A woman on the train west senses that Mary and her young son are in trouble, and she has had her share of that.  She is gravely ill and starting to re-evaluate her life.  Not usually a giving woman, she offers Mary a position in her saloon as her bookkeeper on a whim.  Mary has very little choice and decides to trust the woman.

Carson is the sheriff and the last person that Mary wants to fall in love with.  She is a thief and a murderess and if he discovered what she had done, he would be obligated to take her to jail, leaving her son without a mother.  She can't let that happen.

The mining town in Idaho that they live in is having issues of its own.  The mismanagement is creating unrest among the miners and an accident may end up causing riots.  Mary is searching for her miner brother, who came to America years ago.  She's not even sure that he's still in Idaho, but she needs to find him and get away from Carson and her growing feelings for him.

The wealthy man that Mary thinks she killed needs that cigar box and will do whatever it takes to get it back.  His search for her would reveal her past and destroy her chance at happiness.

I was glad to read that this book wasn't as depressing as the previous book.  The obstacles are not near as bad and it was a great story.  I'm currently finishing up the series and enjoying the read.  Good Book!