Four Weddings and a Kiss - Mary Connealy, Robin Lee Hatcher, Debra Clopton and Margaret Brownley

Four Weddings and a Kiss is a novella collection.  Before the stories start, we're sitting around a campfire with four ministers as they begin to tell one of their colleagues stories about their experiences with unlikely love.  Gregory loves a woman that's somewhat unconventional and wonders if he should give her up.

First off is Spitfire Sweetheart by Mary Connealy.  A bear, a bull and some busted bones threaten to make Rylan lose everything and it's all Maizy's fault.  To make up for her mistake, she's vowed to help him get better by trading her britches for a skirt and doing her best to do things women are "supposed" to do.  While she already loves Rylan, his affection seems to be conditional on her new behavior and not who she really is.  Will he appreciate who Maizy really is before it's too late?  Cute story!  I really liked Maizy's determination and dedication to wait for what she deserved.

Next is A Letter to the Editor by Robin Lee Hatcher.  Molly is mad that her father hasn't made her the editor of his paper.  She's more than qualified and deserves it.  Instead, he's hired a man from Iowa and Molly is determined to convince him to move on.  Unfortunately, Jack is likable and Molly is afraid her heart will lead her astray.  While Jack has plans to move on, he might need to rethink that when he starts losing his heart to Molly.  This was a neat story about writing your plans in pencil and giving God the eraser.  Neither Molly or Jack end up where they thought they would.

Third is A Cowboy for Katie by Deborah Clopton.  Katie has lost her home and her father when a tornado ripped through her land.  She was trapped for days under the wreckage and now is suffering from headaches, a fear of the indoors and a need to protect herself from no-good men that want to take over her land.  Katie hires Treb to build her house. She's not looking for a long-term arrangement and neither is he.  He needs to make some quick cash so he can resume his trip to New Orleans.  Neither of them expected to care for each other, but to be together, they're going to have to conquer their fears.  A nice story of conquering the fear of losing the one you love.

Finally, we have Courting Trouble by Margaret Brownley.  Grace has been accused of murder.  With two husbands already in the ground before now, it seems a hopeless case to try and convince people that she's not the Black Widow.  When Brock agrees to talk to her about the case, he doesn't plan on actually helping out.  He feels that he's failed in the past and has stayed away from criminal law as a result.  Grace is determined not to listen to any man ever again.  She's never married for love and it's going to take some convincing to not only clear her name, but also free her heart.  This was a good story about trust.

In the epilogue, we discover what Gregory has decided to do about his love, Elizabeth. After listening to the four stories of love in unlikely places, it's up to him to use that information to create his own destiny.

This was a great book.  Each story is well written and a quick, easy read.  The authors did a good job writing stories that had enough detail so that you cared about each character while also telling a complete story.  It was enjoyable to read and I was thankful to have the opportunity to read it.  Good Book!

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

Waiting for Spring (Westward Winds #2) - Amanda Cabot

Westward Winds is a series about three sisters.  The first book, Summer of Promise, was a good book that I enjoyed.  Almost two years has passed since I read it, but I had also read Paper Roses quite a while ago and liked it.

Charlotte is making her way in the world as a seamstress.  Her past has her weaving lies around herself to keep her and her son safe.  When her husband died, she was given a warning that a man who calls himself "the baron" would be coming after her and stop at nothing.  When she meets Barrett, she's impressed with his character, but he belongs to her friend, Miriam.

Barrett wants to see Wyoming become a state, and he wants to be in office.  He's also become a successful cattle baron.  He wants to prove to his family that he can be more than a shopkeeper, but are his motives truly as pure as he imagines?  His friends are encouraging him to marry a newspaperman's daughter, but after meeting Charlotte, his thoughts seem to stray to her more than Miriam, who would help his political chances.

Eventually, these two seem to find their way.  Much of the book is them assuming they're on the right path, but then discovering God has something different in store for them. While I enjoyed the book, I was a little confused by Warren's actions at the end.  For someone so consumed with revenge, his actions surprised me.  I don't want to give away more than that.

The third book in the series, With Autumn's Return, is already out.  It's mainly about the third sister, Elizabeth, who has been training to be a doctor.  I believe you could read the first two out of order, but the author's note in the back of this book makes me wonder about the second and third.  The author states that there is more to Gwen's story in the third book, and since we read a lot about her character in this book, I hesitate to say it's okay to read those out of order.  Hopefully, I'll be able to read it soon and make that determination.

I'm still tracking the other books in the Texas Dreams series and I'm also on the lookout for this author's release in October, At Bluebonnet Lake.  It's more contemporary, but I'd like to give it a shot.  Good Book!

Captured by Love (Michigan Brides #3) - Jody Hedlund

I found Jody Hedlund a while back when I picked up the first book of the Michigan Brides series, Unending Devotion.  I finished the second book, A Noble Groom, earlier this month.  When I had the chance to read the third book, I jumped at the chance.  And since I spent my childhood summers on Mackinac Island (the setting for this book), I was even more excited.

This book is set way before the Grand Hotel, the horse drawn carriages and the fudge.  About a century ago, the island was occupied by the British.  The Americans want the island and their attempts to block supplies from getting to the island are impacting the people living there as well as the troops.

Angelique is one of these people.  She lives with her stepfather who is obsessed with making sure she lives a chaste and meek life.  Any minor mistake leads to harsh punishment.  She longs for the day when her betrothed, Jean, will return and take her away from her prison.  Even though she doesn't love him, he loves her.  He's a loyal American and was forced to leave the island when he refused to sign over his loyalty to the British.  When Jean's brother, Pierre, comes back after leaving abruptly five years ago, Angelique questions her choices.  She’s always favored Pierre, but he’ll never quit being a fur trader and she’s unwilling to leave her precious island.

Pierre has come back to spy.  He doesn’t recognize Angelique at first, but once he realizes who she is, he can’t help but think he’s a better match for her than his brother.  He’s played both sides of this war at one point and time, but now he’s chosen his path.  He longs to return to his travels, but his mother needs his help.  And so does Angelique.

This book was great.  I’m not normally a fan of this time period, but I really enjoyed reading the vivid descriptions of what life was like a century ago on Mackinac Island.  I didn’t know the history of the island that far back and it was really interesting.  The characters were also well written.  As I got closer to the end, I was afraid I wasn’t going to get that happy ending, but I wasn’t disappointed. 

The books in this series don’t connect, so you can read them out of order or alone.  They’re all pretty good, though.  Next up for Hedlund is a new series.  Love Unexpected is the first book in the Beacons of Hope series and is due out November 25, 2014.  It’s also set in Michigan and I’ll be keeping my eye out for it!  Good Book!

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

A Match of Wits (Ladies of DIstinction #4) - Jen Turano

Reading the Ladies of Distinction series has been enjoyable for me.  Starting with the novella, Gentleman of Her Dreams, and continuing through the other three books in the series, A Change of Fortune, A Most Peculiar Circumstance and A Talent for Trouble, it’s been a fun ride.  I was happy to have the chance to read this, the fourth book, A Match of Wits.

Agatha is out west trying to elude the person who wants her dead.  After receiving threats, she’s on assignment out west when she makes a new friend (don’t call her a P-I-G).  She also discovers the man who broke her heart, but he looks nothing like she remembers.  He was supposed to be in California and married by now.

Zayne has had a tough time of it.  After dealing with the disappointment of his ‘fiancé,’ he’s now looking at a lifetime of a crippled leg.  Letting Agatha near his mining site turns out to be a disaster and the running he’s been doing comes to an end.

Yep, the men in this series are HORRIBLE at proposals.  Zayne has sworn off women forever and Agatha is getting close to giving up on Zayne.  The poor man really has no idea when it comes to women and there’s also the little problem of someone wanting Agatha dead standing in the way.

This book was great.  Starting with the encounters with Matilda, you’re in for a fun ride.  I think it’s okay to read these out of order, but I recommend you read all of them if you can.  They’re fun and worth the time.  Next up is the next book in a new series, called After a Fashion, and due out next March.  Looking forward to it!  Good Book!

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

Beloved (Where the Heart Lives #3) - Robin Lee Hatcher

I've read many of Robin Lee Hatcher's books, so I won't mention them all here.  Just know that I really enjoy her books and look forward to reading them.  Notably, I've read the first two books in this series: Belonging and Betrayal.  I was looking forward to Diana's story, but unfortunately it got lost in my To Be Read pile.

Diana was abandoned by her husband soon after their marriage.  She loved him but discovered that he only married her to get back at his father and gain access to his inheritance.  He was declared missing on a battlefield and she's now on the verge of announcing her engagement to another man.  Seeing her husband standing in the doorway on the night of the engagement party is something of a shock to her.

Tyson is a changed man.  His years away have opened his eyes to how wrong he's been. She doesn't seem to love him anymore, but he wants to change her mind and become the husband he was meant to be.  Diana isn't ready to open her heart to him, but agrees to a deal that will secure her future and her mother's after six months.  All she has to do is pretend they're a happily married couple until after the election Tyson is running in.  When she suspects that he's really changed, can she forgive the past and truly make the marriage work?

This book was great.  I had to force myself to put it down and rest my eyes for a while, but I basically read it in two sittings.  I found it interesting the way the book was structured. You want to be on Tyson's side - he's a changed man and trying his best - but then you get a flashback of how he treated Diana in the past, and you're understanding of her stance.  It was unusual and I found myself more involved in both Tyson and Diana's transformations.

In regard to the series, I enjoyed it.  The common thread is the siblings trying to find each other, but it's not a large part of the plot.  If you read them out of order, the main stories won't be affected, just the search for the siblings.  I think this was a good series and recommend it.  Good Book!

A Most Unsuitable Match - Stephanie Grace Whitson

In the past, I've read Sixteen Brides and A Claim of Her Own.  They were pretty good, so it wasn't a hard choice to pick this one up.  I was especially drawn to the cover, because it reminds me of a painting I saw while we were on vacation one year.  I posed my girls in front of the painting and it reminded me of the cover for this book.

Anyway, we begin the book with Fannie.  Her mother is dead and she's now on her own. She's never been taught how to take care of a household, so she's unaware of the issues she's going to have to deal with now.  The man in charge of her family's money is encouraging her to marry, but Fannie finds some letters that help her choose her course. She was alone in the world and now she has an aunt.  Not just any aunt, one that's interesting and cultured.

Samuel meets up with Fannie on a steamboat heading up the Missouri River to Montana. He's trying to find his sister.  He failed her one and he doesn't plan on letting it happen again.  Tragedy on the river brings these two closer together, but circumstances in the wilderness threaten to pull them apart.

I liked this book, but I had some issues with it as well.  The story ended somewhat abruptly and the epilogue was a little confusing.  I had the same kind of issue when I read A Claim of Her Own, so I'm not sure I'll be tracking any more of this author's books. Overall, this was a good book, there just seems to be something missing at times.  Even though I'm not planning on reading more, this one still gets my Good Book! review.

And just for fun...

The Victory Club - Robin Lee Hatcher

I've read a lot of books by this author.  I usually enjoy her books and look forward to reading them.  When I found out she had a WWII themed book out there, I was surprised and pleased.  Snatching it up, I was excited to read it.

This book follows the story of four women during WWII.  I was a little worried at the beginning when they were being introduced that I would have issues keeping track of the different story lines, but the author does a good job keeping them straight.

Lucy's husband is a pilot overseas.  She's missing him fiercely and sees an opportunity to help her friends and pray for victory.  Not just victory for the war, but also for the trials the women will be going through. She calls her venture The Victory Club.  They plan on praying for each other and helping needy people in their neighborhood. Lucy misses her husband, and eventually her loneliness starts to affect her decisions and she makes some poor choices.

Dottie's love is also off fighting in the war.  Before he left, they made a decision that will affect both of them forever.  Dottie is expecting a baby, and now it's more important than ever for her man to come back home to her.  She knows that God has forgiven her, but will her mother?

Margo is Dottie's mother and her son is off at war.  Her version of religion involves following the rules and missing the compassionate heart of God.  Haunted by her past, she feels that her past decisions have come back to affect her children.  With Dottie being pregnant, will God require her son's life as well?

Penelope is fed up with her life.  Her husband claims that he can't fight because he hurt his back, but Penelope has her doubts.  She's ashamed of him and it starts to affect her marriage.  She makes some incredibly selfish decisions and risks losing everything.

While this was a good book, it's not all hearts and roses for everyone.  There's not a happy ending for everyone and one character in particular was on my naughty list for the whole book.  I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.  There were a fair number of typos, especially in the letters between the men and women, but it didn't take away from the story too much.  Overall, it was a good read and I'm glad I found it.  Good Book!