Tag Archives: Historical romance

Review: Buttermilk Sky

29 Dec

Buttermilk Sky

Buttermilk Sky by Jan Watson

Weary of the expectations imposed on her by her strict upbringing, eighteen-year-old Mazy Pelfrey prepares to leave her home in the Kentucky mountains for the genteel city of Lexington, where she’ll attend secretarial school. She knows her life is about to change—and only for the better. Everything will be blue skies from now on.

But business school is harder than she thought it would be and the big city not as friendly, until she meets a charming young man from a wealthy family, Loyal Chambers. When Loyal sets his sights on her, Mazy begins to see that everything she’d ever wished to have is right before her eyes. The only hindrance to her budding romance is a former beau, Chanis Clay, the young sheriff she thought she’d left firmly behind.

Thoughts:

“Danger rumbles like thunder on a high mountain ridge when Mazy’s cosseted past collides with her clouded future and forces her to come to terms with what she really wants.”

Jan Watson’s beautiful writing brings to life the setting and characters of Buttermilk Sky.  I was intrigued by Mazy Pelfrey and eager to know what would become of this young woman and her future.  There were several secondary characters that also interested me, and I would love to read their stories.  Buttermilk Sky is the first novel I have read by Jan Watson and I am eager to read more! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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Review: A Most Inconvenient Marriage

17 Dec

A Most Inconvenient Marriage

A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he’s gone–a practical solution for both of them.
 
After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain–until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail’s story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she’s never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn’t trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

Thoughts:

“Sometimes the best gifts aren’t convenient at the time.” 

I was immediately drawn to this book, first by the cover and then by the title.  As I read the back cover, I knew this was a story I would love! 

I enjoy Civil War era stories and I was quickly captivated by this one.  The historical details are rich and the Ozark Mountain setting is vivid.  Abigail Stuart and Jeremiah Calhoun are engaging characters and their story, with its unique circumstances, is full of emotion, from heart-wrenching to heartwarming.  This delightful tale has it all- trials and tribulations, humor and hijinks, faith and forgiveness, and a stirring romance.  I loved A Most Inconvenient Marriage and can’t wait to read more from this incredibly talented author! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Bethany House Blogger Reviewer program.  All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received. 

Purchase links:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Christianbook.com
DeeperShopping

Regina JenningsRegina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

To learn more about Regina and her books, please visit http://www.reginajennings.com/.

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Review: A Light In The Wilderness

16 Dec

A Light in the Wilderness

A Light In The Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick

Letitia holds nothing more dear than the papers that prove she is no longer a slave. They may not cause white folks to treat her like a human being, but at least they show she is free. She trusts in those words she cannot read–as she is beginning to trust in Davey Carson, an Irish immigrant cattleman who wants her to come west with him.

Nancy Hawkins is loathe to leave her settled life for the treacherous journey by wagon train, but she is so deeply in love with her husband that she knows she will follow him anywhere–even when the trek exacts a terrible cost.

Betsy is a Kalapuya Indian, the last remnant of a once proud tribe in the Willamette Valley in Oregon territory. She spends her time trying to impart the wisdom and ways of her people to her grandson. But she will soon have another person to care for.

As season turns to season, suspicion turns to friendship, and fear turns to courage, three spirited women will discover what it means to be truly free in a land that makes promises it cannot fulfill. This multilayered story from bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick will grip readers’ hearts and minds as they travel with Letitia on the dusty and dangerous Oregon trail into the boundless American West.

Thoughts:

“Three very different women. One dangerous journey. And a future that seems just out of reach.”

A Light In The Wilderness is a gripping story, one that captivated me from the very beginning! Based on a true story, Jane Kirkpatrick breathes life into her characters and beckons the reader into their world. I loved the historical depth of the story and the palpable emotions of the characters. A Light In The Wilderness is a very compelling story and a recommended read for fans of historical fiction!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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Review + E-book Sale- This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof

13 Dec

This Quiet Sky

This Quiet Sky: A Novella by Joanne Bischof

There is nothing extraordinary about Tucker O’Shay’s dreams.
Go to college. Become president. Fall in love.
And pretend like he has enough time to get it all done.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Miller doesn’t expect anything out of the ordinary when she begins her first day at the one-room-school house in her new hometown of Rocky Knob. But when she meets seventeen-year-old Tucker O’Shay—the boy with the fatal illness who volunteers to tutor her in algebra—she finds herself swept up in a friendship that changes the way she sees the world and a love that changes her life.

Thoughts:

Joanne Bischof’s writing is exquisite! This Quiet Sky is an achingly beautiful story of timeless love and finding hope in the midst of sorrow. Tucker O’Shay and Sarah Miller are two precious characters who stole my heart completely. I savored every word of this poignant story; it is one that won’t soon be forgotten!

I highly recommend This Quiet Sky, as well as The Cadence of Grace series!  I adore Joanne Bischof’s books; they are among my all-time favorites!   

This Quiet Sky pin2

This Quiet Sky e-book is on sale for a limited time for only $1.99!

Purchase links:
Kindle
Nook
Paperback
Audiobook

 

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$0.99 Sale- A Merry Little Christmas

9 Dec

A Merry Little Christmas

A Merry Little Christmas by Anita Higman

Franny Martin is an Oklahoma farm girl who’s preparing to spend the holidays alone… again. Then Charlie Landau shows up one day, all wealth and polish, and offers to buy Franny’s farm. Franny has no money to speak of, but she is clever and spirited, and she’s more than happy to sell the farm and move to the city. As Sinatra croons from the radio and Christmas descends upon her charming farm, Franny teaches Charlie the curious and sometimes comical ways of country life. In the process, they unearth some discoveries of the heart—that sometimes love comes when you’re least ready for it. Will the holidays bring their most impossible dreams within reach?

E-book on sale for only $0.99 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Review: The Westward Christmas Brides Collection

8 Dec

Westward Christmas Brides

Take the journey into the American west alongside nine women who are chasing their dreams—Cynthia, for security; Beryl, for a new family; Adeline, for freedom; Molly, for marriage; Beth, for a new start; Belinda, for a place to heal; Suzette, for adventure; Juliet, for peace; and Caroline, for a future for her children. Celebrate Christmas alongside these pioneers as love finds them in nine distinctly different romances penned by leading Christian fiction authors, including New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter.

The collection includes:

~ A Christmas Prayer by Wanda Brunstetter
~ Another Christmas Story by Susan Page Davis
~ The Reluctant Runaway by Melanie Dobson
~ A Stagecoach Christmas by Cathy Liggett
~ Forging a Family by Vickie McDonough
~ Snow Song by Olivia Newport
~ Christmas, Maybe by Janet Spaeth
~ The Christmas Bread by Jennifer Rogers Spinola
~ Christmas Bounty by MaryLu Tyndall

I loved this wonderful collection!  Christmas stories are among my favorites and I was delighted by these novellas.  I opened the pages of this beautiful book and journeyed into the Old West.  From wagon trains to passenger trains, the detailed history and charming characters warmed my heart.  I loved the uniqueness of each Christmas romance and highly recommend The Westward Christmas Brides Collection!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Book Club Network.  All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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FREE download + Review: Christmas Lessons

22 Nov

Christmas Lessons

Christmas Lessons by Patty Smith Hall

Love isn’t always enough.

If it were, history teacher Claire Davenport would have married her childhood sweetheart Billy Warner in a heartbeat. But Billy has big dreams of coaching college football, a plan that could be sidetracked by Claire’s disability. Fearing he’ll resent her, Claire breaks their engagement and sets out to build a life around the children at her school.

Two years later, Billy Warner is back in Marietta, the new head coach at the school where Claire teaches, and determined to find out why she broke his heart. Working together to give Christmas to needy families in their community, they can’t deny the love they’ve always shared, but will it be enough to last a lifetime?

Thoughts:

Christmas Lessons is an inspiring story! Patty Smith Hall tugged at my heartstrings in this sweet, Christmas novella. I loved Claire Davenport and Billy Warner and their rekindled romance.  Their story delighted me and warmed my heart! 

I am so excited to let you know that Christmas Lessons is FREE on Amazon today and tomorrow, November 22 and 23!

Download your FREE copy of Christmas Lessons!

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Review + E-book Sale: Hearts Stolen by Caryl McAdoo

22 Nov

 TODAY & TOMORROW, November 22-23, Hearts Stolen is on sale for $1.99 at Amazon.

Hearts Stolen

Hearts Stolen by Caryl McAdoo

Unbeknownst to loved ones, a headstrong young wife is snatched off the prairie by two Comanche braves, carried north of the Red River, and traded to their war chief for ponies. After five years, a small detail of Texas Rangers rides into camp, and she determines that day will bring freedom or death. She’ll remain captive no more. Sassy Nightengale almost gives up hope until a company of Texas Rangers rides into Bold Eagle’s peace camp. She learns they’ve come for the negotiated exchange of stolen white women, except her name isn’t on their list. Purposing in her heart to escape captivity with her blue eyed, four- year-old that day, she does everything she can to be noticed.

Famed Texas Ranger Levi Baylor spots the red headed beauty and agrees to the war chief’s price adding his personal horse and weapon to the Republic agents’ offerings. The trade propels the couple on a trail of joy and sorrow. Sweet love blossoms but must be denied. His integrity and her faith in God keep them at arm’s length, not allowing even a kiss. Sassy’s still married to her son’s father, and Levi’s honor bound to deliver her home—to her husband. Can their forbidden love be made holy? God hates divorce. Is it wrong to hope, expect Nightengale to relinquish his wife and son? Will Sassy and Levi find the redemption they seek for their troubled souls?

Thoughts:

Caryl McAdoo is an entertaining storyteller! Early Texas history, action and adventure, and forbidden love are just a few of the threads that are woven together to create this compelling story. Hearts Stolen kept me up late, turning page after page, with an eagerness to know how the love story would end. I enjoyed this emotional journey of love and loss and look forward to continuing the trilogy in Hope Reborn!

Hearts Stolen can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, but I would encourage you to read the series in order, beginning with Vow Unbroken.

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Review: The Nativity Bride

20 Nov

The Nativity Bride

The Nativity Bride by Miralee Ferrell

Deborah Summers has waited five years and prayed for Curt Warren to return to Goldendale, Washington, passing up another marriage proposal by believing in her first love. When tragedy finally brings him home, will a rift with his father drive him away too quickly?

Thoughts:

 I loved The Nativity Bride! Set in Goldendale, Washington, in the fall of 1875, this holiday novella captivated me and warmed my heart. Deborah Summers and Curt Warren’s story was touching and tender and I would love to read more of these endearing characters.

Miralee Ferrell pens stories you don’t want to end and characters you don’t want to let go of. The Nativity Bride is certainly no exception! A beautiful story of enduring love and the power of forgiveness, The Nativity Bride is a must read this holiday season!

Purchase your copy of The Nativity Bride from Amazon or Barnes and Noble for $0.99. 

 

Miralee Ferrell- headshot

 

Miralee Ferrell is a speaker, accredited counselor, and former ACFW chapter president who has published multiple contemporary and historical romance novels since starting to write in 2005. She enjoys horseback riding, gardening, and family gatherings around their eleven-acre property in Washington State’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge.

 

Interact with Miralee:

Website:  http://www.miraleeferrell.com

Facebook Author page:  http://www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/miraleeferrell

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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Review: Dreaming on Daisies + GIVEAWAY

18 Nov

DreamingDaisies_Revised

Dreaming on Daisies by Miralee Ferrell

When her father’s debts, brought on by heavy drinking, threaten Leah Carlson’s family ranch, she fights to save it. When handsome banker Steven Harding must decline her loan request, he determines to do what he can to help. Just as he arrives to serve as a much-needed ranch hand, Leah’s family secrets—and the pain of her past—come to a head. They could destroy everything she’s fought for. And they could keep her from ever opening her heart again.

Thoughts:

Miralee Ferrell is a master storyteller and I adore her books!  Dreaming on Daisies is an emotional journey that is both entertaining and encouraging. Leah Carlson is a young woman who has been hurt by secrets and strife. However, as this beautiful story conveys, wounded hearts can find healing. I loved this wonderful, historical romance and highly recommend it, as well as the other books in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series!

While any of the books in the series can stand alone, I encourage you to read them in order. In doing so, you will come to know the residents of Baker City, Oregon, and understand their stories.

I received a complimentary copy of Dreaming on Daisies.  All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

 

Miralee Ferrell- headshot

 

Miralee Ferrell is a speaker, accredited counselor, and former ACFW chapter president who has published multiple contemporary and historical romance novels since starting to write in 2005. She enjoys horseback riding, gardening, and family gatherings around their eleven-acre property in Washington State’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge.

 

Interact with Miralee:

Website:  http://www.miraleeferrell.com

Facebook Author page:  http://www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/miraleeferrell

 

GIVEAWAY!

Visit yesterday’s Ask the Author post to ask Miralee a question and enter to win your choice of one book in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series!  The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends Saturday, November 22 at 11:59 pm CST.  

Love Blossoms in Oregon- Enter to win

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