The Daughter of Highland Hall (Edwardian Brides #2) - Carrie Turansky

This is the second book in this series.  The first book is called The Governess of Highland Hall.

Kate is in London for her first season.  Her aunt is determined to have it be a success, no matter what Kate has in mind for her life.  When a scandal threatens the family's standing, Kate gets to experience what it's like in the poorer parts of town and her priorities begin to shift.  She also begins to see the advantage of valuing substance of character over social standing.

Jon is in London to complete his medical training and continue his father's work in India. He also is changed by what he sees in the poorer parts of town and feels that God may be leading him toward work there.  But his family expects him to return to India, and he doesn't want to disappoint his father.  The more he works with those who need it most, he gains confidence that he should be there.  The problem is, Kate is used to a comfortable life.  She's out of his league anyway, but he can't help hoping.

It seems like everyone around these two recognize their feelings before they themselves are ready to admit it.  They both feel that the relationship would be doomed from the start, but they gain confidence when they are together and their feelings grow.  One scandal after another throw a wrench in the works, but they work it out eventually.

William and Julia (book #1) are busy preparing for their wedding and we read a lot from their points of view.  You're not lost if you haven't read the first book, there's enough little hints in there, but it's a bonus for those who have read it.

The third book is called A Refuge at Highland Hall and is the story of Kate's sister, Penny. She shows up here and there in this book, and I look forward to reading it.  Good Book!

Allie's Journey FREE today through Sunday!

The Kindle version of my young adult book, Allie's Journey, is up for free today through Sunday!  I am thankful that God has allowed me to publish this book and follow my dream.

Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving!

At Love's Bidding (Ozark Mountain Romance #2) - Regina Jennings

This is the second book in the Ozark Mountain Romance series.  The first book was A Most Inconvenient Marriage.

Miranda works at her family’s auction house.  When a wealthy family’s painting is accidentally sold, she feels responsible and decides to accompany her grandfather to Missouri to get it back and save the reputation of their auction house.  Her arrival in a place that’s much different than Boston has her second-guessing that decision.  Shortly after they arrive, their luggage is stolen by a ruffian who beats up the man who was helping them.

Miranda's first impression of Wyatt is that of the ruffian.  He’s really giving his brother a lashing for taking his wagon, but Miranda doesn’t look at him the same at first.  When Wyatt finds out that Miranda and her grandfather are the new owners of the “auction house” he’s been hoping to take over, he plans on waiting them out until they head back to Boston.  Unfortunately, Miranda’s grandfather wants to change too many things, including Wyatt.  Add in the old man’s changes in personality and Wyatt’s got trouble.

These two both are on journeys to discover who they really are and what they’re capable of.  The circumstances of Wyatt’s birth finds him always trying to prove himself.  Miranda’s always been told what to do and basically goes with it.  With her grandfather’s problems, she’s going to have to assert herself more.  She’s hiding the real reason they’re in Pine Gap from Wyatt, but she wants to trust him.  He seems to be the first person who believes in her.

This was a great book.  I loved both Wyatt and Miranda and how they not only were able to discover more about themselves, but were able to stay true to themselves at the same time.  They learned from each other and were able to discover that they’re stronger together.  Of course there’s lots of obstacles and misunderstandings to get through, but the story is great and the added humor had me chuckling a few times.

While this book is the second in the series, it can be read alone.  There’s some moments in there where you see a character from the first book, but this one stands alone.  I’m hoping that there’s another book in this series and we can read more about Betsy.  The epilogue makes me think there’s more of her to come, and I can’t wait!  Good Book!

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

Sharpshooter in Petticoats (Sophie's Daughters #3) - Mary Connealy

This is the third book in this series.  The first two are called Doctor in Petticoats and Wrangler in Petticoats.  The series follows three sisters, and they are the daughters of Clay and Sophie McClellan.  This author has written out their story in Petticoat Ranch, part of the Lassoed in Texas series.

Mandy has been hiding up in her mansion on the mountain to try and prevent herself from getting killed.  The Cooter clan is out for blood and won't rest until her entire family is dead. Her husband has already been killed and now her life as well as those of her children are at stake.  She's earned a reputation for being a witch, and people that try to get to her seems to just disappear.

Tom has had enough.  Now that Mandy's worthless husband is dead, he's getting her off that mountain one way or the other.  He's loved her for years, and now she's free to be with him if she would just leave that mountain.  To do that, he's going to risk life and limb to sneak up on her and get her to follow him.  He uses her children to do that, but she doesn't really fight him very hard.

There's still the issue of the back-shooting Cooters, and there seems to be a never ending stream of them.  Mandy has tried to keep everyone away, she doesn't want the deaths of people she loves on her hands, but she finally breaks down and asks for help.  The call is answered, and they prepare for a showdown.

This was a pretty good book, but I'm not certain it's my favorite of the series.  The end didn't go quite the way I thought it would, and that was good.  I truly believe that if you plan on reading this book, the experience will be better if you've read the other two.  Not only is Mandy's story told in those two, but this particular book brings us up to date on her other sisters, Beth and Sally.  In the end, I give it a Good Book! review.

The Golden Braid - Melanie Dickerson

(This book doesn't come out until tomorrow, but I won't have a chance to post it since I'll be out of town this week.  As a result, I am posting this a day early.)

Melanie Dickerson is a great author.  I love her versions of old fairy tales and her unique twists that make the stories come to life.  This is the story of Rapunzel.

Rapunzel has been moved around her entire life.  She has learned things here and there, but what she really wants is to learn to read and write.  Her mother is too busy teaching her not to trust anyone, especially men, to grant her wish.  When they are attacked on the road to Hagenheim, a brave knight saves their lives but is injured in the process.  While her mother is barely civil, Rapunzel begins to trust this man and wonder if her mother has been telling her the truth.

With a broken arm and leg, Gerek is laying in a monastery waiting impatiently to heal.  When one of the monks suggests he teach Rapunzel how to read, Gerek is reluctant, but he has nothing better to do.  The more time he spends with this young peasant girl, the more he enjoys himself.  With the lofty goals he has for his life, he tries to ignore what he’s feeling for Rapunzel and tell himself that he plans on being practical in his choice of a wife.  Circumstances force him to confront his feelings and acknowledge what’s going on.

I love the way this author puts her unique spin on fairy tales while keeping it recognizable and interesting at the same time.  These books might be listed as young adult, but they are great for adults as well.  Who doesn’t love a fairy tale with that happy ending?

This book has ties to the original fairy tales that Dickerson has written.  My post on The Princess Spy breaks down how those novels relate to each other.  You’re reading about Hagenheim, and the family members that have been written about before.  The clash between the Gerstenberg family and Lord Claybrook that occurs during The Princess Spy overlaps with this tale.

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

Wrangler in Petticoats (Sophie's Daughters #2) - Mary Connealy

This is the second book in this series.  The first one is called Doctor in Petticoats.  The third is called Sharpshooter in Petticoats.

Sally is on her way to help out her sister, Mandy.  On the way, their party is ambushed and almost everyone killed.  A buckle saves Sally from a gut shot, but not a fall off a cliff. When she hits the bottom, she's unconscious but alive.

Logan saw Sally fall and is happy she isn't dead.  He figures out what happened on top of that cliff and knows he has to move her, even though her injuries are serious.  On their way back to his cabin, they see that the men that ambushed Sally had done it before. That first part of the story is pretty gruesome.

Logan is a painter, and an obsessed one at that.  Sally doesn't understand that, she thinks any man who doesn't hunt and take care of himself to be a no-account weakling. And although she is grateful Logan has helped her, she wants nothing more than to be out of there.  She knows her friends will be looking for her, but she also realizes that the ones that attacked her are out there as well and out for revenge.

At first, Sally may not understand Logan, but she comes to admire that he follows his heart.  Because, after all, she does the same.  She wears chaps, rides and shoots better than almost anyone and she's proud of it.  Others try to get her to be a little more womanly, but not Logan.  He seems to accept her as she is.  The problem is he's consumed by his art and knows he would only make her unhappy.

Add in to this, we're reading about Mandy.  We read about her in the first book, and her story continues here.  It's three years later and her life's a mess.  She lives for her children, but her husband is as useless as he came across in the first book.  Her story is the continuous thread through these three books.

This was a cute story, watching how these two unlikely people come to care so much about each other.  As to reading these out of order, I'm going to have to say that if you plan on reading Sharpshooter in Petticoats (#3), then I would read the other two first. You get to follow Mandy's development in these first two.  The characters from the first book are mentioned in this book, but never seen, so that one's okay on its own.  This one continues to make you care about Mandy and Tom, so I think you'll get more satisfaction out of reading her whole story if you read all three.  Good Book!

The Tyndale Code (Armour of God #1) - Daniel Patterson

It's been a while since I've been able to post anything.  First off, I had a pile of 6 NetGalley books (which I'm still reading), then I caught this NASTY cold and have been fighting that off for a week.  I decided I needed to read something on the short side as a break from the full-length books and saw this one pop up as recommended.  It's a Kindle Unlimited book, so I read it for free.

Zack is in the business of retrieving biblical artifacts, an "Indiana Jones" if you will.  His current mission has taken him to Guatemala to retrieve a rare Tyndale Bible that's said to be in the hands of the police, who are corrupt.  He's meant to meet up with a priest, but when Zack finds him dead, he has to choose whether to leave the country or continue pursuing the Bible.  It'll be dangerous, but with a little help, he takes on the mission.

This book is on the shorter side, at about 200 pages.  It appears the second book in the series, The Codex, is also around 200 pages, so that's something to keep in mind.  They seem like a cross between a book and a novella.

I enjoyed the story on this one.  The mystery of the code on the title page of the Tyndale Bible was an interesting twist, although I ended up being a little confused at times when codes and ciphers were referenced.  Zack is a likable character, and I look forward to reading more of him.  You get a complete story with this, you're not left with any cliffhangers.  The Codex is part of Kindle Unlimited as well, so I plan on reading it next month.  Good book/novella!