Sabrina's Man (Western Justice #2) - Gilbert Morris

Recently I had the opportunity to read the first book in this series, Rosa's Land.  While it wasn't my favorite book, I wanted to give the series another chance.

Waco is a criminal.  He has been betrayed by the woman he loved and his best friend.  While he is off to war, they run off together and take everything he had.  Bitter by the treatment, he ends up on the wrong path and eventually in jail.

Sabrina is a spoiled young woman who feels that she is in control of everything.  When her sister starts to show interest in a man the family disapproves of, Sabrina puts off dealing with it until it's too late.  Now her sister is gone and Sabrina will do whatever it takes to get her sister back, even if it means teaming up with a criminal like Waco.

I found that this book followed the formula of the first book.  We learn about the back story of the characters long before they meet.  In this book, Waco and Sabrina don't even meet until after halfway through.  To me, this makes the book a little too unbalanced for me and it almost feels like two stories that happen to come together later on.

I wanted to like this book, I really did.  Even after being prepared ahead of time that the story might be similar to the first book, I was somewhat disappointed.  In the end, this series just isn't for me and I'm sorry for it.  This book can be read as a standalone.  The third book in this series, Raina's Choice, is due out June 2014.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Deadly Devotion (Port Aster Secrets #1) - Sandra Orchard

This was a new author for me.  It wasn't free, but it sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a chance.

Kate's good friend has died.  The police has ruled the death a suicide, but Kate knows that her friend's faith in God would have prevented her from taking her own life. Determined to clear her friend's name, Kate goes to the police station to demand that they reopen the case and find the killer.

Tom came back to Canada to be near his father.  Also, his job in the FBI while in the states wasn't something that he wants to talk about.  His partner chose the wrong woman and it cost him his life.  Tom thinks that he could have prevented it and feels guilty.

Kate goes around town snooping where she doesn't belong and getting herself into lots of trouble.  Her wariness of the police doesn't prevent her from becoming friends with Tom and spending time with his family.  Their friendship is tested and the trust they are building is shattered.  Even though she's mad at Tom, she needs his help to catch the killer.

All in all, these characters reminded me of the dog in the movie Up.  Every time they found a clue, they immediately abandoned whatever they were doing and pursued it.  It was a total "squirrel!" moment.  The information on the herbs and poisons was pretty interesting and overall the book was okay.  The second book in the series, Blind Trust, is due out next June.  The fact that I didn't really look forward to picking this book up to read it tells me all I need to know.  The book isn't bad, this series just isn't for me.

A River to Cross - Yvonne Harris

In the past, I was able to read another book by this author, A Vigilante's Bride, and enjoyed it.  Apparently, I read it before I started my blog.  I was able to get this book for free.  It isn't part of a series.

Elizabeth is living near the Mexican border in Texas.  Her brother is a newspaper editor and has been covering the unrest in Mexico.  Angered at the articles, some of the people he is talking about track him down at a courthouse and kill him.  In the chaos, one of the men kidnaps Elizabeth and takes her back to Mexico.

Jake, a Texas Ranger, receives word that there has been some trouble and heads back to discover his friend dead and goes on a quest to rescue Elizabeth.  Technically, they aren't supposed to go across the river to Mexico, but they take the chance and do their best to get Elizabeth back to safety in Texas.  Along the way, they are helped by unlikely friends and end up learning about each other.

Elizabeth doesn't want to feel anything for Jake.  Since her Army husband died three years ago, she has sworn not to fall in love with someone with that kind of dedication again.  The prospect of pain is something she plans to avoid.  But the more time she spends with Jake, the more she observes the many layers that make up the man and is intrigued by what she sees.

I did like this book.  It was a quick, easy read and a good pick for a dreary day.  If there was anything that bothered me, it would probably be the integration of little tidbits by the villains of the book.  I felt they were a bit unnecessary and since they were so short, they were kind of tacked on and didn't really add anything.    At this time, I don't see anything on the horizon but would like to read more of this author.  Overall, I I liked this book and give it a Good Book! review.

Rosa's Land (Western Justice #1) - Gilbert Morris

While looking at the current freebies, I was surprised that this one by Gilbert Morris had almost slipped by me.  This year was the first time I had read this popular Christian author. I started with the first two books in the Lady Trent Mysteries: The Mermaid in the Basement and A Conspiracy of Ravens.  I'm still waiting patiently for the last one in that series, Sonnet to a Dead Contessa.  Rosa's Land sounded like something that I would like to read and picked it up.

Lafayette (Faye) has been influenced since childhood by his mother.  Where his brothers are tough businessmen, Faye is gentle and a painter.  When he tries to come to the aid of a woman in distress, he is beaten badly and has to have someone come to his aid.  On the way to a painting lesson, he becomes a hero in the eyes of a young woman.  He feels drawn to her, but she isn't really interested in tainting Faye's pure spirit.  After much thought, Faye decides that he's going to prove to himself that he can take care of himself. He decides to go out west and be a marshal.

Rosa has been working in a saloon to try and make ends meet for her family.  Her father has been ill for a long time.  When her uncle shows up and tells the family that Rosa's grandfather wants them to come live with him, it gives them a way to escape their situation, but they are going to have to fight to keep what they have.  After a deadly encounter, Rosa heads to the fort to ask for help, but all the judge gives her is a man who is clearly out of his depth.  She's not impressed and sets out to prove to Faye that he doesn't belong.

While the story was good overall, I felt like it was a bit unbalanced.  A lot of time was spent on Faye's development regarding his initial love interest and time in the wild, but the end seemed to suffer for it and seemed a little rushed.  Rosa doesn't even appear in the book until Part Two and so I was kind of wondering where she was in the beginning.  I think that the final showdown could have been much better if the amount of depth matched that of the beginning of the book.

The next book in this series, Sabrina's Man, is due out in December.  The third book is called Raina's Choice and is set to come out June 2014.  Sabrina's Man doesn't center around any characters that were in this first book.  All in all, it was a pretty good read. Decent Book!

Shadows of the Canyon (Desert Roses #1) - Tracie Peterson

This book popped up for free and I was intrigued.  Tracie Peterson is a great writer and I enjoy her books.  After reading a few pages, I realized I was reading about the Harvey Girls, a topic I have read about in the past.  I did a little searching and found I was correct. Peterson has written another series about the Harvey Girls called Westward Chronicles, which consists of three books: A Shelter of Hope, Hidden in a Whisper, and A Veiled Reflection.

Alex is a Harvey Girl and has been working at the resort for four years.  Most of the Harvey restaurants are designed to get people in and out in a short amount of time, but this one at the Grand Canyon is more about luxury and enjoyment.  Embarrassed by her father's adulterous behavior, she wishes he would go away.  When Senator Winthrop brings a party of people, her problems grow.

Luke has been in love with Alex for quite some time, but she only sees him as a friend. Her view of men has been affected by her father's treatment of her and she feels that all men are the same.  Bundling Luke into that category is a little unfair, but Alex has to realize that on her own.  One of the Winthrop party has taken a liking to Luke and he can't seem to get rid of her.

These two get into a lot of trouble.  Winthrop's assistant is willing to do anything, and I mean anything, to make sure the senator gets into the White House and has no conscience.  He uses anyone and everyone to accomplish that goal and eliminates anyone who gets in his way.  Alex'a mother arrives on the scene and now the stakes have been raised when Alex and her mother are not only threatened by Winthrop's assistant but also by Alex's own father.

I enjoyed this book.  I found Alex to be a little heartless at times when she would prejudge Luke and have no faith in him.  She eventually learns the difference but what will she do about the danger surrounding herself and others at the hotel?  Book 2 is called Across the Years and book 3 is called Beneath a Harvest Sky.  Looking at the main characters in book 2, it appears that it doesn't have a significant connection to this book and can be read as a standalone or out of order.  Good Book!

For Love or Loyalty (The MacGregor Legacy #1) - Jennifer Hudson Taylor

In the past, I have read Highland Blessings and Highland Sanctuary.  Since I enjoyed both those books, I was glad to be given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this, the first in the author's new series, The MacGregor Legacy.

In Scotland 1760, Malcolm returns to his village to find that the clan who hates his family, the Campbells, have attacked people and kidnapped his mother and sister and sent them to the colonies to be sold as indentured servants.  In retaliation, he decides to take Lauren, the clan leader's daughter, to America and exchange her for his family.

Lauren tries to look at Malcolm the way God does.  She cares about the fate of Malcolm's mother and sister almost as much as he does and she proves it with her actions.  From the moment they are thrown together, they seem drawn to one another.  Malcolm comes to regret his plan and vows to find another way to release his mother and sister while proving his devotion to Lauren.

I can't believe how much I liked this book.  I had to force myself to put it down to save my eyes, but still finished it in two days.  While things are nicely wrapped up at the end, there are plans for more to the series.  Next March, book 2 is due out called For Love or Country.  The setting of this book is about 20 years after the first one, making it a safe bet that the books can stand alone. That is my favorite type of series.  Book 3 is due out October 2014 and is called For Love or Liberty.  I am looking forward to reading both of them. Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Measure of Katie Calloway (Michigan Northwoods #1) - Serena B. Miller

This entire series has me a little confused.  This book is listed as book 1 in an unnamed series.  A few weeks ago, I finished what is labeled book 3, A Promise to Love.  The book listed as book 2, Under a Blackberry Moon, just came out in October.  It's very odd to come across an unnamed series written out of order, but we'll see how it goes.

Katie has had enough.  Her husband, Harlan, is an abusive man who has escalated since the South lost the Civil War.  Finding a trap meant to kill Katie, she takes her young brother and runs away.  Avoiding her family in Pennsylvania, she heads for Michigan and takes a job as a cook in a lumber camp.  The owner, Robert, is an honorable man whom she respects a great deal and becomes fond of.

Robert saw enough carnage during the war that he has vowed to never operate on anyone again.  He now tries to earn his living during the lumber season and clearing enough land to make it from one year to the next.  Finding a unique soul in Katie, he is drawn to her spirit and heart.  She has enough care to share with everyone in the camp, but Robert knows that there is a secret around Katie.

This was a good book and I really liked it a lot.  I liked the amount of research that the author put into the story and appreciated that I wasn't hit over the head with it.  I wished there had been more facts that had inspired the author in the back, but the little that was there was interesting.  The thing I love about historical fiction is the truths that would be lost if someone doesn't make sure they aren't forgotten.

I understand how Under a Blackberry Moon ended up being labeled book 2, the characters are prominent in book 1, but I'm not quite sure how they ended up published out of order.  I was glad to see the characters that book 2 surrounds, because I was wondering what happened to Moon Song and Skypilot.  I'm not sure about reading book 1 and 2 out of order.  I think it will depend on how much background we get in Under a Blackberry Moon.  I believe that it is safe to read book 1 and 3 out of order.  I look forward to finishing out the series in the future.  Good Book!

Serendipity (Only in Gooding #5) - Cathy Marie Hake

This particular series has been a joy and also interesting to try and keep track of.  In certain places, the series is referred to as Texas Historical series and in others it's called Only in Gooding.  The books that make up Only in Gooding are: Fancy Pants, Forevermore, Whirlwind, That Certain Spark, and Serendipity.  This author also has another series, California Historical series, which consists of Letter Perfect and Bittersweet.  Now I've been able to read all except for That Certain Spark and Bittersweet. They're still on my watch list and I look forward to reading them one day.

In this book, we start out in Carver Hollow, where Maggie lives with her uncle and a group of ragtag men who carve wood and come to her house for meals.  Her life consists of bartering her treasures with people and preserving her traditions.

On his way back to Texas, Todd's mother becomes ill and he is forced to get off the train and seek help.  He ends up on Maggie's doorstep.  She's the only healer in the area and Todd is wary of her skills at first.  He soon comes to see her as a capable cook and caregiver.  Since he is barely able to keep his farm running, his mother's condition is going to require some extra help and he now looks on Maggie as a solution to his problems.

While both Todd and his mother are accepting of Maggie at first, that quickly changes. Once it's made known that Todd plans to wed her and bring her back with them, Todd's mother begins her verbal assault of everything that makes Maggie who she is.  Once they get to Texas and Todd sees the extent of what Maggie has brought with her, he begins to try and change her.  As she tries to help out with her superior bartering skills, she has to deal with Todd's disapproval and his mother's bitter tongue.

While I liked the book overall, I'm not sure I was happy about it.  Let's just say that you'd be hard pressed to find anyone less likable in the book than Todd's mother.  I wasn't a real fan of Todd for most of the book either.  The mother acted like a donkey while her son had the brains of one!  Being the last of the series, it was a nice standalone as well as giving you a peek at some of the other characters in the previous books.

This was a nice read.  I would have had it finished sooner had real life not gotten in the way! This author has become one that I look forward to reading. Her style has a lighthearted humor that had me smiling at some points in the book.  I also felt some pain in this one. Maggie deals with a lot and my eyes misted over once or twice.  That woman is a saint!  Good Book!