With Every Breath - Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden has become one of my favorite authors with her well written stories and lovable characters.  In the past, I’ve read The Lady of Bolton Hill, The Rose of Winslow Street, Into the Whirlwind, and Against the Tide.  When given the chance to read this one, I jumped at it!

At the beginning, we read about the fierce competition between Kate and Trevor.  They’re getting ready to finish school and their final challenge is to fight for a scholarship.  Kate doesn’t understand why Trevor is even going after this scholarship.  He looks like he has more than enough money and this is her only chance to go to college.  Trevor takes the scholarship and her dreams as well.

Years later, Kate has a chance to do the kind of statistical job she longs for while dealing with tuberculosis patients.  When she finds out the doctor in charge of the study is “horrible” Trevor, she almost changes her mind.  He hasn’t changed over the years and is as cold-hearted as she remembers.  She’s been told that she and Trevor are so alike they’ll either be best friends or enemies, and sometimes she wonders which one.

Kate starts to feel her heart soften toward Trevor, but he doesn’t seem at all interested in pursuing a relationship with her.  Every time they seem to make progress, Trevor pulls back into himself.  He’s guarding a deep secret that he knows will hurt Kate and doesn’t want to cause her pain.  With an unknown person threatening Trevor’s research and reputation, they’re going to have to work together.

I loved this book.  I really liked Trevor and Kate’s competitive nature and how they interacted with each other.  Kate is determined to find out what’s underneath that cold exterior no matter the cost, and her personality made me smile.  It’s clear that the author has done her research and the historical note at the end is interesting as well.  As with her other books, it was a great read and I highly recommend it.  Good Book!

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

Appalachian Serenade (Appalachia Blessings Novella) - Sarah Loudin Thomas

This is the first time I've read this author.  I was looking for something quick to read and saw this up for free.

Delilah was unhappy in her marriage.  Now that her husband has died, the only thing he left her is debt and unhappy memories.  All she's ever wanted was to be a mother, but time's running out.  Not able to live on her own in Chicago, she moves in with her sister. Her brother-in-law isn't completely happy with Delilah freeloading off them, so Delilah decides to find a job.

Robert runs the general store and loves interacting with people.  He's somewhat older than Delilah but can't help but think she might be the perfect mate for him.  After he gives her a job, he finds out she wants children.  He's sure he can't fulfill that dream of hers and isn't sure what to do.  Add in an old flame and Robert is confused on what God wants for his life.

This was a neat little story.  It's set in 1945 in West Virginia.  I found the characters to be interesting and the story a light, uplifting read.  The novella only takes up about 65% of the book, the rest is a preview of the first book in the Appalachia Blessings series, Miracle in a Dry Season and comes out July 29, 2014.  It's the story of Perla, Delilah's niece and set nine years after this novella.

I enjoyed this story.  It's a good bet for a time when you want a nice, short read with a happy ending. It's FREE at the moment, but I'm not sure how long it will be that way. Good Novella!

A Flight of Fancy (The Daughters of Bainbridge House #2) - Laurie Alice Eakes

A few years back, I read the first book in this series, A Necessary Deception.  I liked that one and kept my eyes peeled for more in this series.  I was finally able to get my hands on the other two and got around to reading A Flight of Fancy.

Cassandra is engaged and in a passionate relationship with Geoffrey.  A horrible accident causes Cassandra to get severe burns on her legs.  She feels that God is punishing her for her behavior and vows to leave that relationship alone.  She's hoping eventually her father will turn over her dowry money to her, because she knows no one will marry her with her ugly scars.  She has her balloons and her scholarly interests.  That's all she needs, right?

Geoffrey was a second son until his brother died.  Now he has the position of earl, but he never really wanted it.  After Cassandra's accident, he feels horrible guilt.  When she pushes him away, he leaves, but when she starts to get better, she ends up at his family home.  He wants to convince her he still loves her, but now he's being blackmailed into discovering things about the mill uprisings that affect his mill and others in the area. Keeping an eye on Cassandra and fulfilling his obligations to the blackmailer put his life and hers in danger.

I was surprised how much I liked this book.  Not because I expected it to be bad, but just because I liked the unique aspects of the story line.  I'm not sure if I've ever read a book with ballooning in it before, but it was a neat idea and well done.  The plight of the mill worker reminded me of one of my favorite movies, North and South (not the Civil War movie).  Sometimes I didn't understand Cassandra's thought process, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.  In fact, I probably enjoyed this one more than the first.

The series finishes up with the third book, A Reluctant Courtship.  Poor Honore is really a horrible judge of character and I'll be reading her story soon, I hope.  There are mentions of the people from book 1, but you can read these two out of order with no issues at all. Good Book!

A Suitor for Jenny (Rocky Creek Romance #2) - Margaret Brownley

I've already read the other two books in this series: A Lady Like Sarah and A Vision of Lucy.  I enjoyed them and looked forward to reading this one.

Jenny has brought her two sisters to Rocky Creek under the assumption that she's come to the town with the highest income men.  She's vowed to find husbands for them - good husbands.  She stirs up the town by having men fill out applications and asking for financial statements.  When her parents died, she had problems selling their farm and they almost starved.  She's determined to make sure they never have to go through that again.  Unfortunately, the town doesn't have many candidates and her sisters don't seem to be interested in the person she approves.

Rhett is the marshal and hears about 'the colonel' immediately after she arrives in town. She's a stubborn woman and is a danger to Rhett's perfectly constructed wall around his heart.  He carries a great amount of guilt and has promised himself he wouldn't allow himself to feel again.  He doesn't deserve it.  Each encounter with Jenny takes down a little more of that wall.  She's maddening and frustrating, but he's interested.

I did like this book.  Jenny's past is sad and you don't really find out the extent of it until the end, but Rhett handles the information well.  His past was also tragic.  I liked that the characters weren't completely perfect.  No one is and sometimes characters can come across a little too perfect.

Little bits of Sarah's story are mentioned, but I read all three of these out of order and was able to enjoy them without feeling like I'd missed something.  I've got another series by this author, The Brides of Last Chance Ranch, waiting for me on my Kindle and have hopes of getting to it soon. Good Book!

For Love or Country (The MacGregor Legacy #2) - Jennifer Hudson Taylor

After reading the first book in this series, For Love or Loyalty, I looked forward to reading more of this series.  This book is set during the Revolutionary War and occurs about 20 years after the first book.

Hugh is on his way to rescue his brother from the Colonialists.  On the way, he's attacked by Tuscarora Indians and ends up badly wounded.  Upon awakening, he finds himself in the home of the very people fighting against his country.  He quickly comes to realize that the people he's sharing a home with may not be the enemy.

Tyra is holding down the fort at home.  Her three brothers and father are off fighting against the British.  She does her best to keep them safe.  Her nickname of the "War Woman" has the British that occupy the city wondering how she got that name and if she might be working with the colonials.  Hugh is stationed in her home to keep an eye on her and Tyra wonders if giving Hugh her heart would be a waste of time.

These two don't have to think very hard about caring about each other.  The problem is that they find themselves on opposite sides of the war.  Tyra makes unrealistic demands on Hugh but also challenges him to really look at why he's fighting for the British.  Even if the war ends, will Hugh be able to gain the approval of Tyra's father and brothers?

I really liked this book.  I'm not a big fan of books written for this time period, so that's saying something.  Tyra is the daughter of Malcolm and Lauren, the subject of the first book, so the connection is there.  A little bit of their story is revealed, but not enough that you'd have to read these in order.  The third book in the series, For Love or Liberty, is coming out in November.  It is about Charlotte Morgan, who is possibly Hugh and Tyra's daughter, and set during the War of 1812.  I look forward to it!  Good Book!

Seagrass Pier (Hope Beach #3) - Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble is one of my favorite authors.  I’ve read many of her books, both in DTB form and also on my Kindle.  If I linked all of them, it would take up the whole review!  For this series in particular, the Hope Beach series, I’ve read the first two: Tidewater Beach and Rosemary Cottage.

Elin has been having cell memory from her heart transplant.  She’s having memories that aren’t her own, but belong to the murdered woman whose heart she now has in her chest.  Meeting up with Marc wasn’t a complication she was counting on since he’s the father of her child.  And she’s never told him.

Marc is furious to discover he’s had a daughter for four years and is determined to be in her life.  He’s also focused on trying to find the man who murdered his partner.  When the investigation crosses paths with the man frightening Elin, he comes to care for her more than he planned.

This book was a real page-turner.  I can always count on Coble to write a story with depth and a story that keeps me guessing until the end.  But there’s always that happy ending.  I enjoyed the side story with Sara and Josh as well.  Characters from the other two novels make appearances, but there isn’t enough of their stories that you need to read these in order.

The next release I’m hearing about is called The Inn at Ocean’s Edge is labeled as “A Shadow Bay Novel.”  This is going to be part of a new series set in Maine and comes out next spring.  I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it!  This was a good series that I recommend.  Good Book!

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