Toward the Sunrise (An Until the Dawn novella) - Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden is one of my favorite authors.  I always look forward to her books, and before I read Until the Dawn, I wanted to read this novella.

Julia has been expelled from medical school.  She was just doing the humane thing by saving a dog from an owner who made it fight, but she's been impulsive, and using the medical surgery on an animal has gotten her in the doghouse.  

Ashton is the lawyer in charge of seeing her dream come true.  His employer doesn't have an interest in the estate Julia's family works on, but he's vowed to see her dreams come true and Ashton is in charge of seeing that happen.  He has as much love for the east as she does, but his tie to his father is too strong so he knows they could never be together.

This was a cute story and the main heroine of Until the Dawn is in there, Sophie.  There's enough mystery surrounding the mansion that you want to read more.  Mystery also surrounds Sophie and what she's up to, so you're anxiously waiting to read more about her.  This IS a stand alone story, and a great lead-in to the novel.  I heartily recommend this novella if you're at all interested in the book.  About 66% of this title is the novella, with a teaser for the novel at the end.  Good Novella!

Doctor in Petticoats (Sophie's Daughters #1) - Mary Connealy

This is the first book in a three book series.  The other two books are called Wrangler in Petticoats and Sharpshooter in Petticoats.

Beth is determined to make it to her sister's wedding.  She's had a long trip and it isn't made any better by the drunk man she's riding with.  A tragic carriage accident has her using her skills, but she needs help.  She finds out the drunk isn't actually drunk at all, just crazy.  A slip of the tongue alerts her to the fact that he's a doctor and she violently pushes him to action.

Alex thought he left doctoring behind when he deserted from the army.  A particularly violent battle forced him to leave the battlefield and his sanity behind.  That all changes when he looks into Beth's eyes.  He seems to be able to draw strength from her, and he clings to her for that strength.

When they finally get to town, Alex continues to hold on to Beth, but she needs him too if she wants to practice medicine.  Then, Alex's past catches up with them and he has to make a choice.

I liked this book.  We read from the perspective of Alex, Beth, the bounty hunter and Beth's sister, Mandy.  We get to read a great deal about what happens to Mandy after she marries, so I thought the next book would follow her.  I was a little surprised when I saw Mandy wasn't the heroine until the third book.  The second book is about Beth's other sister, Sally.

I'm not sure about reading these out of order yet.  I have the whole series and will hold my opinion on that subject until I read the next one.  This was a pretty good book and I'll be diving into the next one soon.  Good Book!

All is Calm, All is Bright (2 novellas) - Colleen Coble

All is Calm originally came out November 2014, but is now being released with another novella called All is Bright, which appears to be a new novella.  These are Christmas themed and just the right length for the busy Christmas season.

All is Calm is a Lonestar novella, set in Texas at the Bluebird Ranch.  Lauren has been under suspicion for a murder and has run away with the horse that was going to be put down.  She’s run to the ranch where she was a foster child, hoping for a sense of peace.  Brendan is on medical leave from Special Ops, and is wondering if it’s time to settle down.  While he’s initially wary of Lauren, he believes in her innocence and wants to help her.

This was a nice little story with mentions of Rick and Allie from Lonestar Sanctuary.  The balance of this novella is good.  I’m more critical of novellas, because I think it takes a really talented writer to tell a good, balanced story in that short period of time.  In this case, you’ve got a complete story that’s perfect for a snowy afternoon in front of the fire.

All is Bright is a Hope Beach novella, set in Virginia at Hope Island.  Delilah has spent years taking care of everyone else without letting anyone close enough to get to know her.  Her past isn’t something she’s proud of, and she’s beginning to think she’ll never have a family.  When her life is in danger, the sheriff, Tom, vows to protect her.  He’s had his eye on Delilah for some time, but he feels like she’s out of his league.  He’s been protecting himself for so long, but Delilah needs him.

This novella touches base with characters from the series including Curtis, Amy, Vanessa, Libby, Alec, Marc and Elin.  Delilah is preparing the Tidewater Inn for Marc and Elin’s wedding, so you get to see a lot of them and also Libby, the owner of the inn.

These stories are both well balanced and I highly recommend them.  They’d be a great break from a busy Christmas season, but you’ll be able to enjoy them at any time of year.  You don’t need to be familiar with any of the books that came before (the Lonestar or Hope Beach series), but the check-ins with the characters from those books are an added bonus for those that have read them.  Good Novellas!

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

Love Everlasting (Brides of Seattle #3) - Tracie Peterson

This is the third book in the Brides of Seattle series.  The first two are called Steadfast Heart and Refining Fire.

In this book, we finally get closure with Abrianna and Wade.  They declared their feelings for each other in the previous book, so I was happy she finally came around.  Unfortunately, that feeling quickly left as Abrianna now questions what she feels and isn't sure marrying Wade is the best idea.

Problems arise when Priam Welby, the town's villain, approaches Abrianna and tells her that he wants Abrianna to be his wife.  She's not keen on the idea, but when he threatens the lives of those she loves, she doesn't feel she has any choice.  She doesn't have anyone to confide in but is determined to handle things on her own.

Personally, Abrianna's personality has been bothering me off and on through this series, and while I was hoping things would get better in this book, her actions and thoughts on her engagement to Wade continued to irritate me.  She did get somewhat better toward the end of the book, but then she irritated me again at the very end.

Overall, the book is well written.  I thought the end a little lengthy, but I suppose it was to wrap things up since it's the last of the series.  Even so, Abrianna is still figuring her way is the best way and everyone else needs to fall in line.  Since Wade is up to putting up with her, they're well matched.  You can read this one without reading the others.  The nefarious deeds of Welby are referenced enough that you won't be lost.  Decent Book!

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

Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart #3) - Mary Connealy

This is the third book in the Wild at Heart series.  The first book was Tried and True.  The second was Now and Forever.

Bailey is watching both her sisters ride away leaving her alone.  Add to that, Gage has decided to reclaim the canyon she's planned on using and her future looks a little bleak.  With winter just around the corner, she doesn't have many options, but she's determined not to make life easy for Gage or take any favors from him.  He blows the top off a mountain to prove he's going to use that canyon one way or the other.

After a brutal winter, Gage finds himself uncomfortably asking Bailey to marry him.  She thinks he's crazy, and he's not sure she isn't right.  He's told his overprotective mother he's already married, and since she's on the way, he needs a wife.  He blunders through the proposal, but they eventually head to town together.  These two have a lot of issues to work through and Gage's mother doesn't make anything easier.  Add to that, someone is trying to kill Gage and you’ve got yourself a neat story!

I really enjoyed reading through the journey these two went on.  They don't really have time to get used to each other before Gage's mother shows up and attempts made on Gage's life make the story interesting.  Overall, this has been a really cute series and I recommend it.  Good Book!

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

A Lady's Honor (Cliffs of Cornwall #1) - Laurie Alice Eakes

Recently, I was able to read the second book in this series, A Stranger's Secret.  I enjoyed that one, so I was on the lookout for a chance to read this one.

Elizabeth is on the run.  She's decided not to marry a marquess with the shady past.  A man intercepts her, claiming to be a friend of her brother's and helps her get away.  Once she's safely back with her family, Elizabeth discovers that the man is not a friend of her brother's, but her brother had also never even heard of the man.  So who was this man and why did he help her?

Rowan has met Elizabeth briefly a few times before, and she's captured his attention.  His friend has been murdered, and Rowan has promised to look after three women who may be in danger, one of them being Elizabeth.  She's wary of his attention.  He claims to care about her, but Elizabeth loves her position and land too much to give in to her feelings for him.

Elizabeth has never seen what love really looks like.  Everyone wants something from her, her fortune, her position, her obedience without question.  Every instance of love has had conditions, so she doesn't understand anyone being able to love her unconditionally.

This book reminds me of the Gothic romances from the 80s: the foreboding mansion on the cliff side, the handsome man with secrets, the hidden passageways, the mysterious threats to life, smugglers - it's all in there.  Elizabeth is a typical damsel in distress with a bit of a stubborn streak in her.  Overall, a neat story!  Book 2 is about Morwenna, who is a significant character in this book, but after reading both, I still believe that they can be read separately.  I'm not sure if there's supposed to be a third, but I'll be on the lookout for more by this author.  Good Book!