The Matchmaker's Match - Maureen Lang

I was browsing through the Kindle Unlimited titles and came across this one.  I've read this author's Gilded Legacy series in the past and enjoyed it, so I was intrigued to read this book.

Mara has spent the last 10 years traveling the world alone.  She's focused solely on what would please her until she gets extremely sick on a ship.  She meets an "angel" named Jackrabbit and decides to turn her life over to God.  Now she's in Chicago to try and make things up with her sister.  Determined that her life needs to be spent alone to atone for her past, she resists her sister's efforts to match Mara with Benjamin.

Benjamin works with Mara's brother-in-law and is instantly attracted to Mara, but she has some matchmaking plans of her own.  Mara has decided the best way to ignore her feelings is to match him with the governess her sister employs for the children. Unfortunately, this leaves Benjamin in the middle of the matchmaking, trying to find time with Mara but being forced to spend time with the governess.

This story reminded me a great deal of Jane Austen's Emma.  Mara may have competition for the matchmaking process, but she ignores her feelings for quite a while before admitting to what she feels.  It was a cute tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Good Book!

Cold Shot (Chesapeake Valor #1) - Dani Pettrey

Cold Shot is the first novel in the Chesapeake Valor series.

Griffin is making his rounds when he discovers a couple grave robbers.  Working at a Civil War site, he is shocked to find out the remains that have been uncovered aren’t from the 1860s, they’re much more recent.  Finley is the forensic anthropologist who has been working on the site and confirms Griffin’s suspicions.  They’re looking at a recent murder victim.

Identifying the body is the main priority, but someone is willing to kill to make sure that doesn’t happen.  A skilled sniper is involved and it quickly becomes clear that they’re all in danger.  Griffin is put back in touch with friends from his childhood, one of which he has some unresolved issues with.  Finley and Griffin are also fighting their own demons, making their mutual attraction complicated.

This story reminded me of the TV show Bones.  A forensic anthropologist and a former sniper teaming up to solve a murder, each trying to deny their own feelings.  I believe if you like Bones, you’ll love this book.  The story here is complicated, but not in a bad way.  You get to where you think you know what’s going on only to have the rug pulled out from under you with another unexpected twist.

Dani Pettrey is dangerous to read.  Picking up one of her books can lead to growing piles of undone laundry and kids scrounging for their own dinner.  I finished this book in two days, just because I couldn’t put it down until I knew what happened.  There’s some unresolved issues at the end of this book that will lead you to the next one, but you can read this alone and still have a complete story.  I can’t wait for the next one!  Great Book!

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

Keeper of the Stars (A King's Meadow Novel) - Robin Lee Hatcher

After reading the end of this book, there are technically 5 titles associated with this series.  The first three are novels: A Promise Kept, Love Without End and Whenever You Come Around.  Then there’s a novella called I Hope You Dance.  This title ends up being the fifth “story” in the series.  Or, according to the author, A Promise Kept isn’t considered #1 in the series, leaving Love Without End, Whenever You Come Around and Keeper of the Stars as the trilogy.  Amazon labels it as Kings Meadow #4.  It's all a bit confusing, but fortunately, reading these alone or out of order doesn’t mess you up.  Since it's so confusing, I didn't put a number on it.

Penny is angry and bitter.  Her brother was killed in a tragic car accident, and she blames Trevor Reynolds.  He’s the one responsible for luring her brother away from what could have been a “real” career instead of him following his passion and becoming a drummer for Trevor's band.  Now that Trevor has shown up in Kings Meadow, Penny wants nothing more than for him to leave.

Trevor made a promise to his dying friend, Brad, that he’d go to Kings Meadow and be there for his friend’s dad and sister.  While Penny wants nothing to do with him, Brad’s father welcomes him with open arms.  The older man feels God’s hands in the situation and wants to see what will happen.

This book is a mixture of healing and romance.  The first half of the book didn’t seem to have much to do with romance.  It was the thoughts of Penny, Trevor and Penny’s dad, each trying to heal from their own hurt.  Sprinkled in there are random thoughts from Brad, who we already know has died, so having those in there really brought down the mood for me.  Things would start to get better, then we’d read more about Brad.  It was somewhat depressing.

Overall, it’s a good book, just not what I was expecting.  The romance in the second half of the book seemed to develop quickly, maybe too quickly, but it was a cute tale and perfect to read around Christmas time.  As with other books in the series, you get mentions of characters from the previous books, but not enough of their stories that you’ll miss anything reading them out of order.  Good Book!

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

A Sensible Arrangement (Lone Star Brides #1) - Tracie Peterson

This is the first book in the Lone Star Brides series.  The second book is called A Moment in Time and the third is A Matter of Heart.

Marty wants nothing more than to escape Texas.  She sees an opportunity to leave when she answers an ad for a mail-order bride.  Once she's in Denver, she becomes the wife of a prominent banker and finds herself thrust into Denver's high society.

Jake wants nothing more than to escape the bank and get back to Texas.  He's taking a wife mainly to appease his boss.  Mr. Morgan has definite plans for Jake's path and makes sure he stays on it.  Since Jake is only working at the bank until he earns enough to return to Texas, he lets his boss lead him around without much resistance.

Marty's character isn't very likable for most of this book.  She's a liar and basically whines about everything.  When she discovers that Jake wants to return to Texas, she's determined to stay where she is, though she hates Denver's society and its rules.  She shows kindness now and then to those around her, just not her husband.  She lies and manipulates him even when she knows how unhappy he is.

This particular book can be read by itself if you only want to see something of a resolution for Marty and Jake.  But be warned, there's some trouble ahead for them in the next book. Alice's character is introduced and she basically saved the book for me, since I wasn't fond of Marty.  Alice is one of the main characters in the next book, A Moment in Time. Overall, it's a decent start to the series, just with a really unlikable main character.

Life is Like a...

Jigsaw Puzzle!

I've heard a lot of different versions of the "life is like a..." probably the most famous being the line in Forrest Gump where he compares it to a box of chocolates.  That never resonated with me for a few reasons.  First, a lot of the boxes DO tell you what you're going to get.  Second, it seems like most of the chocolates in those boxes are flavors I don't like.  Seems like a pessimistic view of life when you look at it that way!

I've been working on a 1500 piece puzzle of the Neuschwanstein Castle since Christmas. I got it thinking there were enough different colors and shapes on the castle that I could figure it out.  It's been a bit harder than I thought, and I figured life is like that.  There's a lot of lessons that can be learned from jigsaw puzzles.  I talked with my daughter about it a few weeks ago and have been diving deeper into the thought since then.  Here's the list of lessons I've come up with:

1. God sees the whole picture.  He's the Maker of our puzzle, so He knows how it looks when it's all together.  We only see pieces here and there, fitting pieces together when we can.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Ps. 139:16

2. Sometimes pieces don't make sense.  There are times we pick up a piece and wonder if it's actually part of the puzzle we're working on.  Eventually, though, a place for the piece shows up and it all makes sense.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

3. Sometimes pieces are lost.  It happens.  But the picture is still intact to the Maker.  He knows where the piece has gone and how it looks in the puzzle.  Things happen in life that we'll never understand - those are the holes.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. Is. 55:8

4. A puzzle isn't put together the same way twice. Each person is unique and special.  Each life is meant to be lived to the fullest, utilizing a person's God-given talents to bring Him glory.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

5. The end picture only makes sense if the pieces are put in the right place.  Our lives can seem like a mess if we don't have God where He needs to be.  Getting priorities in order is important, and keeping God at the top is vital.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Mt. 6:33

6. Sometimes we try to force pieces to fit together when they aren't meant to.  We've all done it, walked away from God when He has the answers we need.  We cling to our ways, thinking they're the best, but in the end, we find out we were wrong.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov. 3:5

7. There are times when we don't seem to get anywhere.  We stare at the pieces and wonder how we'll ever get any of them together.  Sometimes we don't make any headway at all.  Stick with it!  Every piece gets us closer to the finished picture!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Heb.12:1

8. Some parts are easier than others.  Bits of the picture come together faster than others.  Another way to look at it is that some parts are more fun than others.  Putting together your favorite part of the picture is a treat.  We all enjoy more parts of life than others.  The bad times remind me of trying to put together foliage.  I'm not a fan of puzzles with large areas of green trees, grass and bushes.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor. 4:8,9

9. Puzzles can be frustrating!  As can life, but when we stick with it and trust God, we'll make it through and the picture will come together.
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Is. 40:31

Eventually, I'll finish this puzzle.  It's the largest one I've put together in quite some time, and then I'll look at the finished picture with a sense of accomplishment.  I hope I can say the same about my life when it comes to an end.  I want to be able to say that I lived it to the fullest, and I saw my puzzle as the beautiful picture I know God sees.

Mermaid Moon (Sunset Cove #2) - Colleen Coble

This is the second book in the Sunset Cove series.  The first one was The Inn at Ocean’s Edge. The third book is Twilight at Blueberry Barrens and comes out September 20, 2016.

Mallory has come to discover what happened to her father.  She left her home in Maine 15 years ago disgraced and hasn’t been back since.  Now she’s having to face her past and try to solve her father’s murder.  The first person she reaches out to is her old flame, Kevin.

When Mallory left, she took Kevin’s heart with her.  They had a complicated past and seeing her again is hard.  He wants to help her, but he also wants to understand what happened to their relationship.  As they work together to try and find the killer, more lives are put in danger and the stakes are raised.  They need to find out who Mallory’s birth parents are and what the connection is to the death of her adoptive parents.

This was another good book by Coble.  The story was a bit over-complicated, but I still enjoyed reading it.  Kevin was one of my favorite characters.  He was such a good guy!  This book carries on where The Inn at Ocean’s Edge left off, with look-ins with Claire and Luke.  BUT, you would be okay reading this one if you hadn’t read the first one.  I found that I liked The Inn at Ocean’s Edge better, but this one is still pretty good.  Good Book!

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

Waking Up: How I Found My Faith By Losing It - Ted Dekker

Waking Up is Ted Dekker's personal journey to finding the true love of God.  Along the way, he asks the reader to join him, admit that we all falter and that we're blind to the love of God.  Being able to see ourselves through His eyes is something that we find impossible to do on a consistent basis.  He sums up the important points by identifying The Truth, The Way and The Life.

I love Dekker's writing style.  I just started reading the meditation book and will post up a review of it when I finish.  Brutal honesty is something that is hard to come by, especially by people that end up being looked up to by other Christians as role models.  The older I get, the more I appreciate people in those positions being honest and admitting to struggles the rest of us experience every day.

This short book is a lead-in to The Forgotten Way Meditations - a print book.  The meditation book was part of a fundraising campaign where they wanted to raise $30,000 to publish it and ended up raising over $71,000.  I think Dekker underestimated his fans' dedication to his work.  The books sold out and now there are plans to print more and sell them.  To be alerted to when the meditation book will be available again, head over to the Forgotten Way website and sign up to get the alert.  You're not under any pressure to buy anything, but you'll be alerted when the book is available.  It isn't available in stores and, from the sounds of it, there aren't plans to release it in the retail market.

This smaller book is free, so if you're a fan of Ted Dekker, pick it up.  If you've never read anything by him, you can pick it up without any risk.  You'll be able to read his style and see if it resonates with you.  Recommended!

Calico Spy (Undercover Ladies #3) - Margaret Brownley

This is the third book in the Undercover Ladies series.  The first two books were Petticoat Detective and Undercover Bride.

Katie has been sent to Calico, Kansas, to solve the mystery of two murders of Harvey Girls.  Her position undercover as one of them has her learning cup code and serving meals to people who don’t have much time before they have to get back on the train.  She’s supposed to check in with local law enforcement, but it doesn’t take long before Katie finds out how little the sheriff thinks of Pinkertons.

Branch is haunted by his failure to solve the murders.  When he finds out why Katie is in town, he grudgingly joins forces with her.  It doesn’t seem like they’re ever going to make headway in the investigation, but they both have feelings they’re going to have to face eventually.

Things get complicated, and they have more to worry about than just solving the murder.  An unwanted visitor comes back to town, an older woman is hearing/seeing things, and nature throws her own wrench in the works.  Through it all, these two find out that they work better together than apart.  Katie can’t believe she’s found someone who actually appreciates her for herself, and Branch is surprised to find out how much he needs Katie.

I really enjoyed this one.  The characters are lovable and I liked them all.  This is a light, fun read with moments to make you smile.  These can be read out of order, there’s nothing in there mentioning characters from the other books.  This series has been well worth my time, and I have no issues recommending it.  Good Book!

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