Silenced (Alaskan Courage #4) - Dani Pettrey

So far, I've only read the first book in this series, Submerged.  I really enjoyed it and was thankful to have the opportunity to read this one as well.

Kayden relies on control.  After seeing her mother fight a debilitating disease, she is determined to maintain control over everything she can.  She's a climber and unfortunately that leads her face to face with a dead body.  She ends up working with Jake, a person she doesn't want to love, but she finds herself falling for him anyway.

Jake has lost people he loved before and he's afraid it's going to happen again.  Solving the mystery of the dead climber leads to something more sinister and he thinks history is going to repeat itself.  He wants to do everything he can to prevent it, but will he figure out what's going on before it's too late?

I ate this book up!  I read it in two days and couldn't put it down.  After seeing the way the foundation for the next book was set up in Submerged, I was a little worried I would get too much information and feel like I wouldn't want to go back and read the others.  On the contrary, I found that I was more intrigued to read the other two books I hadn't read yet. It's a fine line making a series somewhat continuous and stand alone at the same time, but I think this author does a really great job and I look forward to more.

This series about the McKennas involves four books thus far.  Submerged, Shattered, Stranded and Silenced.  The foundation for Reef's relationship begins in this book, but I couldn't find information on the next book or when it would be coming out.  I'll definitely be on the lookout for it.  Good Book!

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

While Love Stirs (The Gregory Sisters #2) - Lorna Seilstad

This author is one that I like to keep my eye on for new releases.  Her mixture of history and story make for an interesting and easy read.  In the past, I've read the Lake Manawa series, which consists of Making Waves, A Great Catch and Ride of Her Life.  I also read the first book in this series, When Love Calls.  All great books!

Charlotte is the middle sister and sometimes feels a little invisible.  Her passion is cooking, and she's ready to fight for it.  When her "aunt" gets sick, she feels that she has been trained to help her heal faster through healthy, nutritious foods.  She ends up fighting against the doctor quite a few times, but she also is drawn to him.

Joel likes everything in its place.  He's having some financial issues at the hospital, so when Charlotte voices her opinions (strongly), he doesn't really want to listen to her. Eventually, he sees the merits of her training and is drawn to her.

This book was great.  The characters both come face to face with their own insecurities and have to decide whether they will give up on love or trust God to guide their steps.  We get to find out how Hannah is doing (the heroine from the first book) and we also get to read about spunky younger sister Tessa.  I also liked the historical information at the end about Fannie Farmer.

I truly believe there will be a third book about Tessa, but I couldn't find a title for it or when it would be coming out.  I think it would be okay to read these out of order, but I recommend you read both of them if you get the chance.  Good Book!

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

Fair Play - Deeanne Gist

Deeanne Gist is one of the authors that I read when I'm in the mood for a good, well-written book.  In the past, I've read a few of them in DTB form, with the exceptions of Beguiled and Love on the Line.

Billy is a female doctor that has fought hard to establish herself.  While at Chicago's World Fair, she ends up with a position helping out in the Women's Building.  One of her patients, however, isn't so sure he wants her help.

Hunter is a Texas Ranger who is doing this tedious guard job to make connections and reflect well on his superiors.  He is drawn to Billy, but there's no way he wants a wife who is a doctor, and especially not one that expects him to stay home and keep house!  They come together to make a better life for some of the children in the slums, but it's not as certain whether they will be able to see eye to eye on matters of the heart.

While I enjoyed this book, I'll warn you that it's not all sunshine and roses.  The reality of tenement and jail conditions is heartbreaking as well as some of the pictures.  Hunter's "ailment" in the beginning was throwing me for a loop. So were the detailed descriptions that went with it.  Just seemed like the first interaction between a female doctor and a big, strong man would be more critical.  Instead, it felt like he was at the doctor for a serious cold.

I also found parts of the ending to be on the long side.  The epilogue is pretty long, and while I appreciate an author's note at the end, all I can say is "WOW" at the amount of historical information crammed into it.

Overall, this was a well-written book and worth my time.  Being on the prudish side, there were a few kissing moments when I had to skim a little bit to avoid blushing, but most people wouldn't have an issue with those parts.  Good Book!

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

Rugged Romance Giveaway - Dani Pettrey

In honor of the release of the fourth book in the Alaskan Courage series, Silenced, Dani Pettrey is having a giveaway!  There's some really impressive prizes including a $250 dollar gift certificate on Alaska Airlines!  There's also some very pretty wall art and a really cool picnic set.

The contest runs from May 1 to the 21st.  Winners are announced on the 23rd.  It's really easy to enter and you can do as much, or as little, as you want to.  There's ways to enter by using Twitter, Facebook, etc. but there's also something as easy as entering your name and email or picking your favorite prize.  It's definitely worth a shot!

Make sure to check it out!  The book came out April 29th and you can read my review of it right here this Thursday!

Enter the contest HERE.

The Headmistress of Rosemere (Whispers on the Moors #2) - Sarah Ladd

After reading the first book in this series, The Heiress of Winterwood, I looked forward to reading more from this author.  Book 1 was about Graham Sterling and this one is about his brother, William.

Patience has been running a girl's school since her father died.  Her brother abandoned them and her mother won't leave her room.  She feels like her efforts are taken for granted and wishes her life was different.  A bit of excitement comes to the school when the master of the property is found beaten in their stable.  Patience knows his reputation, but is drawn to him anyway.

William has been reckless and now is in trouble.  He owes a great deal of money and the person he owes WILL get that money back.  Scrambling for an answer, William is forced to consider selling some of his land or letting his friend "borrow" some of it for a textile mill. While he wants to be free from the debt, he also wants to be a more honorable person than he has been in the past.

These two are brought together again at a fire.  William is a hero and Patience is more attracted to him.  Many obstacles stand in their way.  Her brother not only returns, he brings with him people that cause Patience pain simply by their presence.  There is also the mystery of little Emma.  She's a sweet child with no family.  That part isn't particularly difficult to figure out, but it's interesting the way the characters discover the truth.

I did enjoy this book.  I liked William's character the best.  He made his mistakes but was at a point in his life where he could move forward with the help of God.  Patience wasn't very patient and jumped to conclusions a few times where it would have been more prudent to wait for more information.  But we're all guilty of that at one time or another, right?

I didn't read anything about Graham or Amelia from book 1 in this one, making it a great standalone.  The next book in this series is called A Lady at Willowgrove Hall and comes out October 7, 2014.  I didn't recognize either of the main character's names, which was something of a disappointment for me.  Cassandra's story was not finished and I had hoped the third book would revolve around her.  The female character is hiding her identity, so there may still be a connection to this book.  In any case, this was a well written book and gets my Good Book! review.

Raptor 6 (The Quiet Professionals #1) - Ronie Kendig

In the past, I have been able to read Dead Reckoning and two of the books in the A Breed Apart series: Trinity and Beowulf, all great books by this author.  When I had the chance to read this book, I didn’t hesitate.

Dean is the leader of Raptor Team and has endured a great deal.  Zahrah is the daughter of a powerful retired General in the United States and has come to Afghanistan to teach children.  When her particular skill set puts her life in danger, Dean takes it upon himself to try and keep her safe.

Someone has gotten a hold of a military computer and needs Zahrah’s exceptional skills to unlock it and decode sensitive information.  Getting a hold of her isn’t terribly hard when Dean is sent on a wild goose chase, but when Dean ends up captured as well, will Zahrah buckle under the stress and give the captors what they want?

This book was great.  It has action from beginning to end, and when the man behind the entire thing escapes, we have a great lead-in to the next book.  Hawk is the next book in the series and is scheduled to come out fall 2014.  That leaves Falcon scheduled to come out spring 2015.  These characters are in Raptor 6, and with the evil villain story line not resolved, I can’t comment on whether these would be okay to read alone.  Reading the torture was hard, but you can tell that the author does her research and the excellent writing makes the book hard to put down.  I’ll be on the lookout for the next one in this series for sure!  Good Book!

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

Trinity (A Breed Apart #1) - Ronie Kendig

I haven't read a lot of this author's books, but what I've read I've been impressed with.  A few years back, I read Dead Reckoning and recently I read the third book in this series, Beowulf.  I was happy to get price drops on the first two in this series so I could get caught up.

Heath was injured on a mission.  Now he suffers from blackouts and headaches.  He wants to get back in the game, but it seems like God is shutting every door.  Then he gets the opportunity to go to Afghanistan and encourage the troops with his former war dog, Trinity. The dog is Heath's entire world and he's not looking for romance.  But then he meets Darci.

Darci can't believe that she's run across Trinity again.  The memory of why she was around the dog last time haunts her.  She's a spy and doesn't have the luxury of being able to get close to Heath, but her heart isn't paying attention to her head.  While on a mission, things go south and it's going to be up to Heath to help save her.

With this author, I've come to expect a story with great detail and action.  It is obvious that the author does a great deal of research before she writes and it makes for a more realistic story.  I appreciate that.  This was a great story of trust and faith.

When I reviewed Beowulf, I mentioned that it would be okay to read these out of order.  I still think the story is complete enough that you can read them out of order, but I'm not sure I still recommend it.  I can't shake the feeling that I would have enjoyed this one a little more had I read them in order.   I'm not quite sure why.  Talon is the next book in the series and I plan on reading it in the near future.

I believe that the best books are the ones where you care about the characters even after the story is over.  This author is a master at that and I have no problems giving this a Good Book! review.