Claim (The Homeward Trilogy #3) - Lisa T. Bergren

I read book 2 of this series in February.  Both Moira and Dominic's stories are still unresolved in Sing, so I needed to read this one to finish out the series.  I read book 1, Breathe, before I started my blog.

The story this time is balanced between Moira and Dominic, called Nic.  To demonstrate the amount of balance, the book ends with Moira and the epilogue covers Nic.  Moira is having issues with Daniel and considers heading to New York for a taste of her former life and a possible connection with the parents of her unborn baby's father.  Daniel has unresolved issues from his past that interfere with his present and could destroy his future with Moira.

Nic isn't sure what he's in for when he agrees to mine with a stranger.  What he ends up with is being neighbors with a beautiful woman and a young boy to care for.  He just wanted to make something of himself before heading further west to visit with Odessa, but now he has a lot more to deal with.  It seems that circumstances are forcing him into a corner.  He has no desire to be a miner, but sees little choice considering the boy needs a future.

Sabine is an independent woman who had a very bad marriage.  Now that she's on her own. she'd like to keep it that way, but she can't ignore the feelings she has for Nic.  When they are faced with possibly selling their land to a mining company, they form an alliance and hope for the best deal.  When the company doesn't want to deal with Sabine fairly and the offer is refused, Nic and Sabine learn what lengths the mining company is willing to go to in order to get what they want.

While I enjoyed the book, I can't really stress enough that these need to be read in order. My main issue was that I had a significant gap between reading each of the books in this series.  While there are clues in there to refresh your memory, I still had times when I felt like I had totally missed something.  My recommendation is to collect all three and then read them as close together as possible.  It was a nice series and I was glad I read it. Good Book!

Trouble in Store - Carol Cox

After reading Love in Disguise, I was glad when I got the opportunity to read this new book by Carol Cox.

Melanie has lost her job as a governess and is hoping that she can get a job working in her cousin's mercantile in Arizona.  He died a while ago, but she's hoping that his partner will help her out.  Once she gets there, not only does she find that her cousin's partner is dead, there's a man there proclaiming that the store is solely his.  Melanie is sure that her cousin intended for her to own half the store and presses her case.  He's determined to get Melanie out of there, even if he has to come up with a plan on his own to try and marry her off.

Caleb has run the store since his uncle died.  He's moved away from the place of his wife's death and is hoping the store will support him and his son as the boy grows.  Melanie's presence is something of a tornado in his world.  She has plans to rearrange the whole store and pretty much tells him that he's running it wrong.

When problems start happening, the townspeople look at Caleb and Melanie and wonder if they have anything to do with the mysteries in the town.  I found their reasoning to be a little odd, since it didn't make any sense with the timeline of the deaths to blame them on Melanie and Caleb.

The story overall was a little fractured for me.  I didn't understand why Melanie didn't seem to have any curiosity about Caleb's wife.  Maybe it was mentioned and I missed it, but it seemed like she didn't have any questions whatsoever and I found that a bit odd.  Also their mutual omission of the problems plaguing the store.  The notes for instance.  Melanie confronts Caleb about the notes and then vows not to take his silence for an answer.  Yet, she doesn't really ask him about them later on.  There were a few moments like that where it seemed like I had missed something.

Overall, it was a good read.  I felt like there could have been more interaction between Caleb and Melanie to display their attraction.  They didn't seem to have much of a connection throughout the story.  It gets my Decent Book! review.

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

The Lightkeeper's Bride (Mercy Falls #2) - Colleen Coble

I'd been watching for this book to drop in price for quite a while before I was able to pick it up for $3.99.  As I write this review, it's actually down to $3.03.  A good price for such a great book.  I've already reviewed the third book in the series, The Lightkeeper's Ball.  I read the first one in the series, The Lightkeeper's Daughter, quite a while ago before I had begun reviewing books online.

Katie is working for the telephone company, but her family wants better for her.  They are pushing her to accept the advances of Bart, who is in her social circle, but Katie isn't sure that she can fall in love with him even though her parents want her to.  When Katie overhears a conversation over the phone, what she hears gets her involved in a mystery that will turn her world upside down and put her life in danger.

Will is taking care of the lighthouse, but his passion lies with weather forecasting.  His brother is in town investigating piracy in the waters near the lighthouse.  When his brother asks for help, Will is so accustomed to bailing his brother out that it isn't hard for his brother to talk Will into questioning a woman his brother knew in the past.  Finding an abandoned baby isn't quite what he expected, but neither is Katie.

Katie is suspicious of Will at first, but his motives become clear through his actions.  I really liked Katie's character and the way she worked through her issues.  Her parentage is her main secret, but even she isn't fully aware of the extent of the secret.  The parentage of the baby is also in question, and even though both Katie and Will love the child, they aren't sure they will be able to figure out who her real father is.  Working to discover who's behind the acts of piracy throws them together and they come to care for each other.

As usual, Coble delivers a solid story full of romance and mystery.  It's a great book and a nice addition to the series.  The characters from the first book are there in a minimal sense and you can read these out of order with no issues.  I recommend this book.  Good Book!

Kindle Daily Deal - Tamera Alexander

Thought  I would give readers a heads-up that Tamera Alexander's novel, To Whisper Her Name is one of the Kindle Daily Deals on amazon and is on sale for $1.99.  Snatch is up now, while the price is right - it's a great book and this price won't last!

Link to my review of To Whisper Her Name.  I read it back in November.

Giveaway in honor of the release of A Bride for All Seasons - Robin Lee Hatcher

I got an email from Robin Lee Hatcher about the release of A Bride of All Seasons which is written by Robin Lee Hatcher, Margaret Brownley, Mary Connealy, and Debra Clopton.  It was just released on June 18 and the giveaway ends in 10 days.  Your prize is a $30 bookstore gift card (amazon,B&N, CBD, or iTunes).  There are four ways to enter: you can post on Facebook, pin it on Pinterest, subscribe to Robin Lee Hatcher's blog posts by email and/or write a review.  I didn't manage to enter all four ways, but I got two in there. Good Luck!

LINK to the entry form on Hatcher's website.

Showdown at Barncastle Inn (Celebrate Any Time Series) - Janelle Mowery

I came across this title while checking for any new freebies that would catch my eye.  Based on the price, I was expecting a novella, and I was right.  I believe this book is about 100 pages.  I've read a series by Janelle Mowery in the past, the Colorado Runaway series, and picked this up.

Kelsey is headed to Vermont to Barncastle Inn since her parents are renewing their vows.  She really doesn't want to be there since she has a very fractured relationship with her father.  She plans on doing her best to avoid him and just get through the week.  His betrayal has made her bitter and unforgiving even though everyone around her is trying to tell her that he's changed.

Nick grew up with Kelsey and has loved her for a long time.  The night before she left for college, their final conversation went wrong and they have lost touch.  Kelsey had no idea that Nick would be at Barncastle Inn as well, but quickly recovers and they mend their friendship.

The Old West is the theme at the Barncastle Inn and during their activities, Nick not only mends his friendship with Kelsey, but also encourages her to mend the relationship with her father.

I liked this quick, easy read.  This novella seems to be part of a series revolving around Barncastle Inn.  There is a collaboration book called Christmas at Barncastle Inn and is written by Susan Page Davis, Darlene Franklin, Janelle Mowery and Lynette Sowell.  To go along with it, it appears they have written these novellas as well, calling them the Celebrate Any Time Series.  Revolution at Barncastle Inn is Susan Page Davis's contribution.  Barncastle Memorial is the name of the novella by Darlene Franklin, and Spring Comes to Barncastle Inn is by Lynette Sowell.  I think I'll keep an eye out for these others, so if you have a few hours and want a good read, pick this up!  Good Book!

Jasmine (Song of the River #3) - Diane T. Ashley & Aaron McCarver

Jasmine is the third book in the Song of the River series.  I enjoyed Lily and Camellia and was anxious to read Jasmine.  This title will be available for purchase on July 1.

Jasmine is the youngest of the three sisters and is struggling with the fact that her sisters can’t seem to accept that she is a grown woman and not a child anymore.  She wants to become an actress and feels like her sisters are holding her back.

David is the boy who Lily and Blake saved back in book 1.  His biological family now gone, he feels like no one understands him and he feels alone.  He’s loved Jasmine for many years but doesn’t really believe that he could be good enough for her.  She treats him like an annoyance, which only reinforces his views that he will never have her heart.

This story is a classic case of “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”  Jasmine wants to live the dream of being an actress without knowing the reality of what that life is really like.  When she gets the chance to find out, she neglects her relationship with God.  The story lines of all three sisters are wrapped up nicely and the happy ending that I love was present.

As I mentioned in my review of Camellia, this series is a continuous story surrounding the lives of Lily, Camellia and Jasmine.  While this book is mainly about Jasmine and David, there are enough interactions with the characters from the previous novels that I believe it is important to read them in order.  Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver have also worked together on a Heartsong series called Truly Yours.  These books are available on amazon and are all under $5.  I look forward to reading more from these authors in the future.  Good Book!

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

Facebook friendly giveaway - Tracie Peterson books

When I say "Facebook friendly" I'm referring to the fact that when you try to enter this contest, you're going through Facebook and most likely posting things.  I believe that this giveaway is in honor of Peterson's latest book, The Quarryman's Bride, which came out June 1.  The Quarryman's Bride is book 2 in the Land of Shining Waters series.  Book 1 came out in March and is called The Icecutter's Daughter.  Book 3 comes out in September and is called The Miner's Daughter.  According to a review I saw on the second book, this may be a series that it isn't necessary to read them all to get the entire story.  If that is the case, I may put them on my wish list and see what happens!

If you go to Tracie Peterson's FB page, there is a tab for giveaways.  This particular giveaway is a "library's worth" of Tracie Peterson books.  I'm not sure how many books are involved or exactly when it ends.  If you click on "Enter Now" it will inform you that Tracie Peterson wants to access your friends list, public profile, birthday, education history, interests, current city and likes.  That's where it ended for me.

BUT if you're okay with all that and are interested in entering the giveaway, head on over to her Facebook page and get your name in there! Good luck!

Camellia (Song of the River #2) - Diane Ashley & Aaron McCarver

After being gone all week on vacation, it's good to be home!  While I was gone, I was able to read Camellia, the second book in the Song of the River series.  I recently finished Lily, which is book 1 and was pretty impressed.

Camellia is the middle sibling.  Her family is an embarrassment to her and she wishes for nothing more than a plantation husband so that she can be a social icon and take care of her home.  At the beginning, she is a materialistic brat, and I have to admit, more than a little annoying.  When the Civil War breaks out, she is on the hunt for a handsome officer to be her husband.

Jonah has known Camellia for quite some time now and is disappointed that she seems so shallow.  The war is going on and everyone around him seems to be supporting the south, but Jonah doesn't agree and ends up becoming a spy for the north.  Since he has to lie to those around him, Camellia sees him as little more than a coward and treats him as such.  Their mutual affection is pushed to the side for much of the book as they fight their own internal battles.

This book ended up being a continuation of the first book.  While the main focus is on Camellia and Jonah, there is enough of Lily and Blake's story that I believe you'd get more out of the series reading them in order.  It really ends up telling more of everyone's stories as the series goes on.  I was impressed to see the twist inserted in there regarding Blake's family.  I'm not giving anything away, you'll have to read them to find out what I'm talking about!

Reading Camellia's story as she learns that God is relevant and changes her point of view on some important matters was enjoyable, and I liked Jonah's character throughout. Overall, this was a great read and I look forward to finding out what happens with Jasmine, the youngest sibling and aspiring actress.  Good Book!

Lily (Song of the River #1) - Diane Ashley & Aaron McCarver

This book popped up for free and I thought it looked like a nice read.

Lily is the story of an independent young woman who is determined that she will decide her own future.  Her mother is dead and her father has abandoned her.  When her aunt and uncle try to force her into a marriage without love, she takes her share of her inheritance and uses it to buy a controlling interest in a riverboat.

Blake thinks that all his problems are solved when he wins interest in a riverboat until he meets his partner: Lily.  He has grand ideas of turning a profit by hosting gambling on the river, while she is just as determined that they won't.  She believes that transporting cargo will be enough for her to support her sisters and that is all she asks for.

The man who Blake won the riverboat from is determined to get it back one way or another.  He starts out by trying to win Lily's affections, assuming that she will instantly fall for his charm and let him take care of the ship for her.  He needs to impress his father who believes that he is an irresponsible man.  Lily doesn't care for his attentions causing him to take more unconventional methods to try and force Lily away from the shipping industry.

I really enjoyed this book.  I liked the characters and the unique personalities of each of the sisters.  I appreciated that when Lily was being hypocritical, Blake would call her out on it and she would actually listen.  The second book in the series, Camellia, tells the story of Lily's younger sister.  I was able to pick that one up for $2.99.  I believe that these two are on sale since the third book in the series, Jasmine, is due to come out next month.  I have it on my watch list.  I can't say whether reading them in order is a necessity, but I'll update that once I read Camellia. As of June 8, this book is still free.  Good Book!

Editorial - The "social" side of Facebook when it comes to following authors

I normally don't blather on about random topics on here, but I wanted to make some observations about Facebook.  Yes, I am on Facebook, but I'm a virtual hermit on it, only poking my head out occasionally to "thumbs up" a post or picture by a family member.

I like to follow authors and find out when they are coming out with something new.  There are a couple that I follow on Facebook.  The problem I have is when they come out with a giveaway or special offer that you can only get through Facebook.  The link to your sign-up/bonus material is not available until you post something about it on Facebook. Honestly, I really have no desire to post on Facebook at all, so this usually causes me to just stop the process.  I understand that they want to spread the word, but when you are using my wall, give me the option to do it when/if I desire.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to sign up for a giveaway for an ARC (advanced reading copy) of a book coming out this fall.  It was in an email and when I clicked the link, it took me to the dreaded Facebook page where I had to "Like" the person to enter the sweepstakes.  Then, I had to post on my wall.  Here's where I got clever.  When posting, I hit the little cog wheel in the corner and made it a custom post.  Then I just made sure that my husband was the only one to see it.  Ta-da!  Now I'm not irritating my friends, relatives and 'people I never talked to in high school' with it!  So next time I see one of those giveaways on Facebook that requires me to "share" with others, I can keep my privacy!

Also, Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee are doing the Book of Mortals series giveaway again.  I posted about it last week, so you can read about it HERE.  I entered last time, but I don't feel like playing the "Like" game on Facebook this week, so I'm out this time.  If you do enter, make sure you do it on both Ted Dekker AND Tosca Lee's pages.  Good Luck!

Trauma Plan (Grace Medical #1) - Candace Calvert

This is the first book in the Grace Medical series.  Having read all of her first series, Mercy Hospital, I was excited to read this one.  For some reason it has been on my Kindle for a long time.  I'm not sure why, I have really enjoyed this author's books.

This book is about Riley, someone we get to know a little bit in the Mercy Hospital series. She's the hospital chaplain, but wants to get back in the ER again.  Unfortunately, she had a run-in with someone who tried to kill her.  It has left her with enough nerve damage in her dominant arm that she is unable to perform the duties that would be required of an ER nurse.  It has been a year since the accident and she is frustrated that God hasn't restored her fully.

Jack is an angry man who looks for dangerous situations.  His badges of honor are the things he has conquered.  He runs a free clinic near a posh neighborhood and is in a battle with the residents.  He'll do anything to keep his clinic and lashes out at them every chance he gets.  His past is filled with regrets for his murdered friend and he feels he has a lot to prove.  Meeting Riley teaches him that he maybe he needs to look at things a little bit differently.

I ate this book up.  I couldn't put it down, because I just had to know what was going to happen.  The characters are well written and I liked the story line.  Rescue Team is the next book and is about Kate, a character we read a lot about in book 1.  I'm not sure about whether reading them out of order would make a difference.  We read some of Kate's back story in this book, but she's also moved away from Alamo Grace and is at Austin Grace so it may not make a difference.  I hope to get book 2 soon.  Definitely gets a Good Book review!

Trouble in Store Giveaway - Carol Cox

There is a giveaway in honor of Carol Cox's new book, Trouble in Store, called the Mercantile Mystery Sweepstakes.  This is a unique giveaway as the prizes are really interesting.  You have until June 20th to enter, so make sure you check it out!  Good luck!

Just click HERE to enter!

Also, make sure to check out the book itself.  You can read the summary and an excerpt of the book here.  It's about two people that aren't quite in agreement about who exactly inherited a mercantile in Arizona. I'm looking forward to reading this new book after enjoying Love in Disguise!

If the Shoe Fits: A Contemporary Fairy Tale - Sandra D. Bricker

I saw this one pop up and knew that I had enjoyed some of this author's Emma Rae Creations series, I knew that I would have no issues giving this book a chance.  Even though I didn't make it all the way through that series, I did enjoy her writing style and this book looked cute.  I would have finished it yesterday had it not been for a nasty migraine. It's kind of cute that my daughter is actually reading a different book with the same title right now, so we've got something in common!

Julianne and Will have been best friends since they were very young.  They have just started a law practice together when Julianne sees Prince Charming save a dog on a rainy day.  When he drops his boot and toolbox, she sees this as a sign from God that her personal fairy tale has begin.  She has to find this man so she can have her happily ever after.

Will has loved Julianne for as long as he can remember and hasn't ever had the courage to tell her.  The possibility that he could lose her all the way is something that he's not willing to risk.  As Julianne's Prince Charming doesn't add up to the dream Julianne planned in her head, Will wonders if she will ever see him as more than just a friend. Things don't look good for that outcome unless one of them admits the truth to the other.

I enjoyed this book a lot.  Julianne's quirky mannerisms and off-the-wall thoughts made me smile.  Some of the odd things she came up with (the whole mustache thing) sounds like something I would think of, so I liked her character.  I wasn't as fond of her at those times when she took Will for granted, but she eventually learns from her mistakes and we get the happy ending we all know is coming.  I recommend this book for anyone that wants a light, cute read.  Is it predictable? Yes, but it's all about the journey...Good Book!

A Memory Between Us (Wings of Glory #2) - Sarah Sundin

After reading book 1, A Distant Melody, and book 3, Blue Skies Tomorrow, I was ready and willing to finish the series with A Memory Between Us.

Jack is the brother that is expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a preacher.  The problem is that he doesn't really feel that he is cut out for that particular task.  He's not really sure that it's his calling.  He has always felt the most at home in the air and that's the way he likes it.

Ruth is a nurse that is trying to take care of her family even though she has been forced away from them and they aren't all together.  She also has a past that she feels she'll never be able to forget.  Once she meets Jack, she is having to rethink what exactly she wants and what she needs.  Most of her life she has pushed everyone away, but Jack is determined to break through her walls whether she wants him to or not.

This was another intense book.  This one deals with the dangerous consequences of pride and the shame and scars left by rape.  As these two each struggle against their own issues, Jack pushes Ruth only to have her push him away.

Honestly, I kind of felt like I had fell asleep in the middle of a movie and woke up at the end.  Having read the beginning and end of the series really affected my overall enjoyment of the series.  Don't get me wrong, I love this series, I just would have been more invested if I had read them in order.  If you read them, take my advice and read them in order.  I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the different aspects that were addressed in each book.

One word of caution: If you have absolutely no interest in the Army Air Corp, WWII or anything surrounding it, I want to warn you that there are a lot of details in this series. While I completely loved all the details, I can see how someone who wasn't really into that would find all the descriptions a bit tedious.  All in all, this was a fabulous series and I look forward to reading more from the author.  Great Book!