Tag Archives: Contemporary fiction

#BookReview: Home on the Range by Ruth Logan Herne

17 Nov

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Home on the Range by Ruth Logan Herne 

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dGI1wW

Can the brother left behind and a woman without hope work together for the good of two precious children?

Nick Stafford stayed in central Washington, working his family’s large ranch after his brothers left to pursue other passions—but his toughest job is being a single dad. As a child he watched his father fail at marriage and parenting, so Nick was determined to show him up. He’d be a better husband, father, and ranch manager than Sam Stafford ever was. Despite that commitment, three years after Nick’s wife left him, he has a daughter in trouble at school and both of his girls are facing issues that force him to rethink his stubborn plans.

For Dr. Elsa Andreas, life fell apart when tragedy caused her to abandon her family therapy practice and retreat to the backwoods of Gray’s Glen. Her school principal sister believes Elsa can guide the Stafford girls and that working with kids will draw Elsa out of her protective bubble.

Summer on the Double S teems with life and adventure. Amid the bounty of God and land, will Nick and Elsa find the courage to build futures based on faith rather than fear?

 

My thoughts:

Ruth Logan Herne welcomes readers back to the Double S Ranch, once again capturing the intricacies of ranching and family life. I quickly became immersed in the lives of Nick and his girls; the angst and emotion they felt was palpable. Experiencing their journey was both heart-wrenching and heartwarming, and I delighted in their happiness and healing. Home on the Range is an engaging story and a wonderful addition to this dramatic series. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Stafford family!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl

14 Nov

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Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2f3TLHZ

Mercy Brennan followed in her father’s footsteps in a law enforcement career, but she has no interest in any other connection to him. A U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri, she’s assigned to a joint task force with the St. Louis PD that puts her back into contact with her father and in the sights of St. Louis’s most powerful gang.

When the gang has reason to believe Mercy has possession of some highly sensitive and incriminating information, her boss assigns Mark St. Laurent–a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mercy’s ex-boyfriend–to get her out of town until they can guarantee her safety.

Initially unaware of the danger she’s in and uncomfortable working with Mark, Mercy’s frustration escalates when she discovers the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark. It isn’t until a freak ice storm hits, stranding them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office, that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy closing in to put their lives at imminent risk. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive–if help is even coming at all?

 

My thoughts:

Nancy Mehl begins her Defenders of Justice series with a chilling tale of action and suspense! When U.S. Marshal Mercy Brennan unknowingly accepts possession of incriminating information, she becomes the target of a very powerful gang. As danger escalates, the twists and turns through this story will keep you guessing, unable to discern the good guys from the bad. I enjoyed Fatal Frost and look forward to continuing this intriguing new series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

1 Nov

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Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dZn5mg

Search and rescue pilot Kacey Fairing is home on leave in Mercy Falls, Montana, twelve years after she joined the military to escape the mistakes of her past. With a job waiting for her as the new lead pilot of Peak Rescue in Glacier National Park, Kacey hopes to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter she sees only between deployments. What she doesn’t realize is that someone else is also back in town.

Ben King has been building his country music career since the day Kacey shut him out of her life. Now all of that’s on hold when his injured father calls him home to help run Peak Rescue until he’s fully recovered. It doesn’t take long, though, to discover his father’s ulterior motives as Kacey Fairing walks into the house and back into his heart.

 

My thoughts:

Wild Montana Skies is a great story and the beginning of what is sure to be an exciting series! Susan May Warren never fails to delight me with her excellent characterization and engaging story lines, and I eagerly await each new book she releases!

Kacey Fairing and Ben King are strong characters who share a complicated history. Back in Mercy Falls, the state of emergency these two find themselves in is caused by more than rising floodwaters. I really enjoyed Kacey and Ben’s journey of faith and forgiveness as well as their rediscovered romance. I also enjoyed continuing Ian and Sierra’s story which began in the prequel novella, If Ever I Would Leave You.

Wild Montana Skies pairs adventure and romance and leaves me wanting more of the Montana Rescue series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson

30 Oct

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Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2f3DzWP

In her kitchen at Rose’s Red Door Inn, executive chef Caden Holt is calm, collected, and competent. But when her boss asks her to show off their beautiful island to impress a visiting travel writer and save the inn, Caden is forced to face a world much bigger than her kitchen–and a man who makes her wish she was beautiful.

Journalist Adam Jacobs is on a forced sabbatical on Prince Edward Island. He’s also on assignment to uncover a story. Instead he’s falling in love with the island’s red shores and Caden’s sweets.

When Caden discovers Adam isn’t who she thought he was, she realizes that the article he’s writing could do more than ruin the inn’s chances for survival–it might also break her heart.

 

My thoughts:

Wonderful characterization and an engaging plot make Where Two Hearts Meet a delightful read! I love visiting Prince Edward Island and the fictional bed and breakfast Liz Johnson has created. The sights and sounds of the Red Door Inn and the island come to life with each turn of the page. Full of sweetness, from Caden’s cinnamon rolls to her relationship with Adam, Where Two Hearts Meet is a tantalizing and enchanting tale. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am eager to continue the Prince Edward Island Dreams series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon

22 Oct

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Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2f49quo

After a disastrous Middle East mission ends his six-year Army Ranger career, Finn McGregor needs some downtime. A peaceful month in the woods sounds like the perfect way to decompress. But peace isn’t on the agenda once he crosses paths with publishing executive Dana Lewis, a neighbor who is nursing wounds of her own. Someone seems bent on disrupting her stay in the lakeside cabin she inherited from her grandfather. As Finn and Dana work together to discover who is behind the disquieting pranks, the incidents begin to take on a menacing tone. And when it becomes apparent Dana’s foe may have deadly intent, Finn finds himself back in the thick of the action–ready or not.

 

My thoughts:

In this third and final installment of the Men of Valor series, former Army Ranger Finn McGregor is a dashing hero who finds himself running to the rescue of his neighbor, Dana Lewis. The chemistry between the two becomes palpable as their relationship develops amid the drama and danger that is lurking in the woods around them. A delightful blend of intrigue and romance, I enjoyed Finn and Dana’s story and thought Tangled Webs to be a great conclusion to a great series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReviews: A Sister’s Wish + An Amish Family Christmas | Book Pack #Giveaway

20 Oct

Don’t miss books three (A Sister’s Wish) and four (An Amish Family Christmas) in Shelley Shepard Gray’s Charmed Amish Life series. In A Sister’s Wish, when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There’s a chance for love… but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past. In An Amish Family Christmas, Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together . . . in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.

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Enter to win a book pack (a copy of A Sister’s Wish and a copy of An Amish Family Christmas) from Shelley. Five winners will be chosen! The winners will be announced November 7th on Shelley’s blog!

 

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A Sister’s Wish

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2e2XBTQ

In Shelley Shepard Gray’s third book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a respectable young woman finds herself falling for an Amish man from the wrong side of the tracks.

Amelia Kinsinger is the perfect Amish woman—at least according to her neighbors. And while Amelia takes pride in her role as homemaker, she’s also harboring a secret: She’s been in love with bad boy Simon Hochstetler for as long as she can remember. Too bad he’s about as far from “perfect” as an Amish man could get . . . but that’s exactly why she’s so drawn to him.

Life hasn’t been kind to Simon. He ran away from an abusive home at fifteen and things went downhill from there. Eventually, Simon landed in prison. But the experience changed him. Now back in Charm as a grown man, he’s determined to make a new life for himself and not think too much about his wild past . . . unless it pertains to Amelia.

He’s loved Amelia for years. To him, she represents everything good and kind in the world. When he realizes that she returns his affections, he starts calling on her in secret, even though her older brother Lukas—who just happens to be Simon’s best friend—has made it perfectly clear that Amelia deserves better. Simon disagrees and believes he’s the only one who can truly make her happy.

But when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There’s a chance for love . . . but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past.

My thoughts:

I have really enjoyed The Charmed Amish Life stories, and A Sister’s Wish is my favorite of the series! Shelley Shepard Gray is a wonderful storyteller who brings Charm, Ohio, and its residents to life with vivid details and descriptions and excellent characterization.

From the moment I began reading A Sister’s Wish, I was completely captivated by Amelia and Simon’s story! I loved the complexities of the Kinsinger and Hochstetler families and their dramatic and emotional journeys. Beautifully told, this poignant story is sure to tug at your heartstrings!

For those who have not read Books 1 and 2, A Sister’s Wish can be enjoyed independently. However, I encourage you to read the series in order for a greater understanding and appreciation of the characters and their stories.

 

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An Amish Family Christmas

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dYRwqr

In Shelley Shepard Gray’s fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles—and love.

Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.

But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can’t help having doubts. There’s something about Julia that doesn’t ring quite true . . .

Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships—but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she’s hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually . . . perhaps even sharing her life with him.

Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together . . . in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.

My thoughts:

An Amish Family Christmas is a wonderful culmination of a wonderful series! I have loved visiting the special community of Charm, Ohio and eagerly anticipated Levi Kinsinger’s story. When Levi returns to Charm, he meets a young woman, Julia, who needs his help. But with secrets to keep, will Julia let herself trust her neighbor and the help he offers?

I really enjoyed Levi and Julia’s dramatic story and their coming to terms with the pain and hardships of their pasts. I also delighted in revisiting the other members of the Kinsinger family as they gathered together in love and support of each other.

An Amish Family Christmas is the fourth and final book in The Charmed Amish Life series. If you enjoy Amish fiction and have not read this series, I encourage you to do so from beginning to end!

 

Shelley Gray

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

 

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I received a complimentary copy of A Sister’s Wish and An Amish Family Christmas. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.  Click here to read what other bloggers are saying about these books.

#BookReview: High-Risk Reunion by Margaret Daley

17 Oct

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High-Risk Reunion by Margaret Daley

Purchase a copy: http://amzn.to/2ecVmMj

When district attorney Tory Carson returns home after a long day in court prosecuting a gang leader, she finds her house trashed. Concerned that the vandalism is connected to the trial, the local police chief calls the Texas Rangers…and her former love Cade Morgan responds. Tory’s history with Cade—and the secret they share—makes her reluctant to let him back into her life. But Tory doesn’t want to choose between bringing down a gang leader and protecting her teenage daughter. With the threat escalating the longer she tries the case, the safest place for Tory and her daughter is at Cade’s ranch. But can Cade protect them long enough for Tory to bring the criminal to justice?

 

My thoughts:

High-Risk Reunion is an exciting tale of suspense and second chances! Danger lurks around every corner, and Texas Ranger Cade Morgan is determined to keep Tory Carson and her daughter safe. When threats and danger escalate, will he be able to offer the protection they need?

Margaret Daley kicks off this new series with action and intrigue, crafting a cast of characters I cared about and rooted for until the very end. I really enjoyed Cade and Tory’s story and look forward to continuing the Lone Star Justice series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander

28 Sep

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When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dmbCvO

Dani Prescott came to the children’s hospital to spy on Brett Somers–so how did she end up on a date with him? Weeks earlier she’d seen an interview in which he blamed her mother for the plane crash that had killed his parents. But the crash had killed her mother as well, so Dani can’t believe the story Brett’s trying to sell to the media.

Vowing to find a way to discredit the privileged–and maddeningly handsome–Brett, Dani has been following him and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use against him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself offering up a fake name and agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something–but he’s got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is?

 

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My thoughts:

When Love Arrives is an engaging story! Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I welcomed the opportunity to return to the quaint community of Misty Willow and revisit its residents. Because Brett’s story begins in Book 1, Where She Belongs, reading the series in order is recommended.

Dani Prescott and Brett Somers are an unlikely pair who have endured painful events in their pasts. From heartache and healing to revenge and romance, I enjoyed the complexities of their journey and the growth of their character. I was also pleased to continue Shelby and AJ’s story and look forward to reading more as the Misty Willow series continues.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: The Christmas Angel Project by Melody Carlson

27 Sep

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The Christmas Angel Project by Melody Carlson

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1XS4OaN

Five women from different walks of life have become close friends through their book club–enjoying one another’s company even more than they enjoy the books. So when the leader of the book club unexpectedly passes away on the cusp of the Christmas season, the four remaining friends are stunned. They relied on Abby for inspiration and motivation. She was the glue that held them together, and they’re sure that without her the group can’t continue.

When the group gathers “one last time” to open a bag Abby’s husband gives them, they find Abby had made each of them an angel ornament for Christmas, crafted especially for each woman and accompanied by a sweet and personal note. Inspired by their beloved friend, together Cassidy, Louisa, Grace, and Belinda decide to commit themselves to becoming Christmas Angels to others in need. Each woman will use her life situation and talents to reach out and help others in her own unique way–little knowing that her own life and her relationships will be changed forever.

 

My thoughts:

I love Christmas stories and always look forward to adding Melody Carlson’s books to my collection. Once again, she has crafted a heartwarming and hope-filled holiday tale. I really enjoyed this close-knit group of women, their friendships, and their book club gatherings. When tragedy strikes, angel ornaments and special notes encourage them to celebrate life and each other and reach out to those around them. Sharing a lovely message, The Christmas Angel Project is sure to touch readers’ hearts and inspire them to find their own Angel Projects!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

#BookReview: Deep Shadows by Vannetta Chapman

23 Sep

Deep Shadows

Deep Shadows by Vannetta Chapman

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/20VtGvH

All It Takes Is One Night
to Plunge the World into Darkness

Life in Abney, Texas, is predictable and safe—until the night a massive solar flare wipes out all modern technology.

Shelby Sparks, novelist and single mom, had one goal: to provide for her diabetic son. In the wake of this global disaster, her mission hasn’t changed. Only now, medication is a priceless commodity and the future resembles an apocalyptic nightmare.

Max Berkman and Shelby were once sweethearts, but he lost his chance at claiming her love years ago. When the abrupt loss of power ushers him into a leadership role, he rises to the occasion. But his highest priority—to keep Shelby and her son safe—could prove to be the biggest challenge of all.

As the brilliant northern lights give way to deep shadows, Max and Shelby’s faith will be tested like never before. Only one rule remains: Find a way to survive.

 

My thoughts:

With its plausible plot and superb characterization, Deep Shadows grabbed me and didn’t let go!  Vannetta Chapman has penned a riveting tale that will open your eyes and cause you to view the world around you very differently.  The characters and setting are vividly drawn, and I felt right at home in Abney, TX.  Deep Shadows is an extraordinary, thought-provoking story that left me begging for the next book in the Remnant series!

 

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Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace, including romantic suspense and Amish romance novels. She is the author of seventeen novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, The Shipshewana Amish Mystery series and Anna’s Healing, a 2016 Christy Award finalist. Vannetta is a Carol award winner and also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas hill country. 

Connect with Vannetta:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

Deep Shadows

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.