Bourne (River of Time 3.1) & Tributary (River of Time 3.2) - Lisa T. Bergren

These two are novellas that are meant to be read after the River of Time series: Waterfall, Cascade and Torrent.  Make sure you have read this series BEFORE you dive into these novellas - you'll have no clue what's going on if you don't.

In Bourne, we pick up where Torrent left off.  Men are wounded from battle and there is a new threat to the Betarrinis and those they have come to love.  Lia still doesn't quite feel like she belongs but knows she won't be going back.

Tributary was my favorite story of the two.  Alessandra has gotten a head wound while out hunting.  Lia and Gabi know that they have no choice but to take her back to their castello even though it is obvious that this girl has come from their enemies.  As Alessandra heals, she comes to realize that everything she believes is not as black and white as she first thought.

I really loved this series and these two novellas.  Finding some closure for Lia, Luca and Rodolfo was nice although not everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow.  It has been over two years since I read the River of Time series, but there were enough reminders to help me remember what had been going on - great job by the author on that one!  You still have those moments where the "teen" aspect of the book shines through in the language.  For me, it sort of broke up the flow but it wasn't bad enough to change my opinion of the stories.

These are available separately, but I recommend you buy them together for two reasons. The first is that it is cheaper to buy them together.  They are $2.99 separately and $3.99 together.  For some, the difference is minimal, but when you buy/read as many books as I do, every little bit helps.  The second reason is that both stories are definitely worth reading and you'd be missing out by only reading one.  Great Series!  Great Novellas!

A Home in Drayton Valley (Heart of the Prairie #9) - Kim Vogel Sawyer

I've been reading through this series, picking out the ones I thought sounded interesting. The ones I've read so far are Waiting for Summer's Return, A Promise for Spring, A Hopeful Heart, Courting Miss Amsel and Song of My Heart.

Tarsie is a young, independent woman who is trying to make ends meet.  Her best friend, Mary, has been sick for quite some time and when Tarsie finds a book telling about the ideal place to live: Drayton Valley, Kansas.  She wants to get Mary out of the unhealthy air in New York and get to the cleaner air in Kansas.  It will also get Mary's children to a better place to grow up and Mary's husband, Joss, away from liquor.

Joss grew up with a father who was always angry and drank all the time.  He loves Mary and is devastated when he realizes how sick she really is.  He starts to wonder if she will even get to see Kansas.  As she's dying, Mary asks Tarsie to take care of her children but also Joss.  Tarsie's not so sure she can do it, but she vows to try.

This was an interesting read, but I must say it was a little depressing at times.  Tarsie does her best to show God's love to Joss, but he treats her with indifference and plans to leave first chance he gets.  The way he treats his children is the way he was treated even though he vowed not to become like his father.  At the end of the day, it was a good book about how anyone can turn their life around and I enjoyed it. I've got one more to read from this series, Where Willows Grow, and I look forward to reading it soon.  Good Book!

Betrayal (Where the Heart Lives #2) -- Robin Lee Hatcher

Almost a year ago, I read Belonging, the first book in this series.  At that time, I couldn't find any more information about the series and was disappointed.  Little did I know that the series moved on without me! This series is about three siblings that were separated on the orphan train.  Now they are working their way back to each other.  The first book was about Felicia.

Hugh is on his way to find his sister, Felicia.  On the way, his horse comes up lame and he ends up at the ranch owned by Julia.  Hugh keeps to himself, but he feels that Julia is hiding just as much as he is.  As he comes to feel for her, he holds back the details of his past.  People judge him by it even though he knows he is a new man in Christ.  Even knowing that, he has learned it is better to be on his own than risk the pain of betrayal.

Julia doesn't really miss her husband.  When he was alive, he abused her and punished her for not giving him a child.  It's not in her nature to be trusting, but she asks Hugh to stay and help her get the cattle to market.  When he agrees, she also decides to hold back.  She feels that her past will push away any feelings Hugh might have growing for her.

This was a nice short read and I enjoyed it.  The final book in the series, Beloved, just came out at the end of September and I have it on my watch list.  I hope to find out what happened to Diana very soon.  Good Book!

Rock Harbor Search and Rescue: Lost and Found - Colleen Coble

After reading the first book in this series, Rock Harbor Search and Rescue, and knowing that my daughter enjoyed it, it was a no-brainer to pick this one up.

We pick up where we left off with Emily, but it’s not to the point you feel like you’re missing something if you haven’t read the first book.  I think that’s important, especially with series written for the younger crowd.  Emily is faced with a whole new set of problems and tries to solve them all on her own again.

Her best friend, Olivia, discovers that she has been adopted and the girls go about trying to find out why Olivia’s parents have never told her.  They can’t ask, because that would ruin a surprise anniversary party, so they enlist the help of a local reporter who has been helpful in the past.

Not only do the girls try to figure out Olivia’s past, Emily’s mother is back in town and wanting to get back in touch with her daughter.  Emily’s not sure she can trust her, but knows that no matter what her mother is planning, God wants her to forgive.  There’s also been a fire at the school and the evidence isn’t quite what it seems.  When her stepmother, Naomi, goes missing, Emily isn’t sure things can get much worse.

I have no issues recommending this series.  It was a nice enjoyable read for me and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.  The action goes right up until the end and I think will keep the kids motivated to read it through.  The only caution I have is that I believe this series would be more appropriate for ages 10 and up.  Amazon has it listed as age 8, but due to content, length and writing style, I think it would be more enjoyable for 10 and up.  Hope to see more in the future!  Good Book!

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

Unspoken - Dee Henderson

I have read a lot of Dee Henderson's books in the past including the entire O'Malley series.  I've always enjoyed her ability to mix suspense, mystery and romance in a real page-turner.

Bryce is bored.  As a coin dealer, his life has gotten monotonous and he is praying for something to shake up his life.  That prayer is answered in the form of Charlotte.  She appears one night under mysterious circumstances and intrigues Bryce.  She's offering him the opportunity to buy a collection of coins.  If he says no, she's going to open up a coin store right next door and be his direct competition.

As the mystery surrounding Charlotte begins to unravel, Bryce wants to help her with her goals of distributing her grandfather's estate.  Bryce comes to realize that the estate is much more than he imagined.  Charlotte has a troubled past and hasn't said a word about the four years she spent kidnapped.  Even though is has been 18 years, her past is still chasing her.

I hate to say this, but I wasn't very fond of this book.  I had issues getting into the story.  I don't know anything about antique/rare coins and the amount of detail about the coins became too much for me.  There were also random details that I felt could have been left out and made the book easier to read.  It definitely could have been shorter.  I skimmed part of the second half of the book and thought that the suspense at the end was well done, but overall it probably could have lost 50-100 pages and the story wouldn't have been as bogged down with random details. And I still don't like antique coins.  It was just okay.

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

A Talent for Trouble (Ladies of Distinction #3) - Jen Turano

In the past, I have been able to read the novella to this series, Gentleman of Her Dreams, and also the first book in the series, A Change of Fortune.  I’ve had the second book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, on my watch list for quite a while, but haven’t seen a drop in it yet.

Felicia has just had a letdown.  Her secret infatuation with the local reverend, which appears to be no secret at all, has ended with him married to another woman.  For four years, Felicia had altered who she was to try and attract this man’s attentions.  Now that he is gone, Felicia’s mother has seen fit to try and match her up with someone as soon as possible.

Grayson has had a troubled past and has vowed to never marry again.  His past mistakes have made him, in his eyes, unworthy of forgiveness from God and thereby unsuitable as a husband to any young woman.  Problem is, Felicia is both maddening and intriguing at the same time.  While he wants to spare her from his past, saving her from one of the troubles she tends to get into brings his past right to her door.

As with the other books I have read by Jen Turano, this was another great read.  I didn’t feel like I had missed much by having to skip the second book, although mention was made of botched marriage proposals.  Apparently all the men in these books make a mess of their proposals.  Other than that, as long as you realize it’s a happily-ever-after, you’re not going to spoil much by reading them out of order.  I do hope that this series doesn’t follow the usual trilogy format, as we still don’t have resolution for Agatha and I think it would be a great story from a relatively new author.  She’s a great writer and her characters make me smile.  Definitely hope to see more from her!  Good Book!

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

Traces of Mercy (Mercy Medallion Trilogy #1) - Michael Landon, Jr. & Cindy Kelley

Anyone who has watched many movies on Hallmark channel has heard of Michael Landon, Jr.  The first movie that comes to my mind is Love Comes Softly.  Seeing that he had written a book had me intrigued.  I hadn’t heard of Cindy Kelley, but it looks like they worked together to release a book back in 2009.  Doesn’t look like something I would read, but this title did.

The beginning of the book grabs you right away.  The Confederate sniper that we meet has an unexpected encounter.  When she loses her memory, all she has are the men’s clothes she is wearing and a medallion.  Since she doesn’t remember her name, the nuns she is staying with call her Mercy.

Rand seems like a knight in shining armor.  He is really interested in Mercy and doesn’t care about her past.  His prominent family is concerned about the consequences should Mercy remember she has a husband and family, but Rand seems to think it’s not an issue.

Elijah meets Mercy at a party and feels like he’s met her before.  When he figures out how he knows her, it could put everything that Mercy has planned for her future at risk.  What will she do to keep her dreams alive and what will it cost her?

This was a real page-turner.  Mercy’s amnesia is frustrating for both the character and the reader.  I couldn’t put the book down and just had to know what was going to happen.  I wanted to know if Mercy would find out who she really was.  Would she remember everything?

I have to warn you that this is a trilogy AND you are left with a major cliffhanger at the end of this book.  If you don’t want to be invested in an entire trilogy, you may want to pass, but I must warn you that you’ll be missing out.  I’m not normally a fan of these types of trilogies, but I’m looking forward to the next title in this series.  Good Book!

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