Monday, May 18, 2020

The Wedding Dress

Enjoyable read. I haven't read one of Danielle Steele's books in ages. I have no idea why???

I enjoy multi-generational books. This story was about three generations and the consequences of the depression on them all.

I love the women characters. They all were strong in various degrees. At times, I wanted to shake one or two but they had to learn.

Great read on a cold, wet, quarantined day!!!

Someone Like You

A powerful book about the consequences of modern science. Karen never disappoints. This is a stand alone book but it's wonderful to visit the Baxter family again.

I loved the story and read it in one day. How can you not worry about Maddie? How can she handle the truth?

GOD has A plan for each one of us. We don't always understand but things will work out. I truly believe that GOD arranged my meeting with my husband. He knew that I went through some hard times and he was trying to tell me.... "Hold on, Jeanette. I am always with you. Everything will be ok...Just wait and see."

Thank you, Karen. I will continue to be one of your biggest fans!!!!

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Karen Witemeyer's AT LOVE'S COMMAND

I always enjoy a book where the female lead is not a shrinking violet.  Josephine is certainly not that.  She is opinionated.  She is sassy.  She is smart.  And she is a doctor!

Matt had no room for romance in his life.  He just didn't meet Dr. Jo yet.

Matt is the whole package.  He is handsome, strong and a decent man.  He valued Jo's strengths and loved her for them.

Two strong characters that are drawn to each other, both fighting their feelings but realizing that love can't be denied.  Disaster strikes and each must fight for what they hold dear.

I loved how their faith carried them in good times and bad.  Their faith encouraged them when it appeared that all was lost.  They never gave up. During these times in the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to hold on to our faith.

I enjoyed this story and look forward to more books in the series.  You can't go wrong with any books written by Karen Witemeyer.







Starfish Pier by Irene Hannon

Starfish Pier is located in a small town called Hope Harbor.  Sounds like a place I would love to live in.  Everyone knows your name.  A community where the residents look out for each other.  Of course, the drawback is that everyone knows your business.

I was drawn to one character as I turned the pages.  Pete came to Hope Harbor without hope.  He lost himself.  He thought he knew what his plane were until he met his neighbor. He was an example of a "changed" man.

He wasn't the only one who changed or grew in this lovely story.  Many of the characters had demons that they lived with.

Irene Hannon clearly demonstrated that we can conquer our fears, our demons with GOD by our side and with the help of others.  We don't have to do it alone.

I loved the story and was sad to see it end.  I will look for the other books in this series as I am confident that they would be just as enjoyable.

I received this free from Revell Books to review.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Change of Heart

Becca had to get away.  It was a time to heal from a broken heart.  Ruth, Becca's sister, was a grieving widower.  Becca was jilted at the altar.  Together they could get through this difficult time.

Becca had no idea that her life would change so drastically.  Would she regret her decisions?  

Becca might have changed her location but she remained strong in her beliefs.  She loved Matt but would not marry him.

Becca's decision to leave her Amish home was a difficult one.  This was a big deal.  I would have thought it would be more of a struggle.  I assume she didn't think of leaving before she was jilted. Becca left but didn't leave her faith. Her faith kept her strong.

It was a lovely story about acceptance and what constitutes a family. Matt's parents needed a Change of Heart.  

I received this free from Celebrate Lit to review.

















Home On Huckleberry Hill




Huckleberry Hill has become a home away from home for me.  I love revisiting Annie and her husband, Felty.  She loves her family and will go to extremes to support them.  This story demonstrates their overwhelming support for their granddaughter, Mary.  They will be so supportive to the point that they will experience fires, spiders, out houses and a runaway motorhome.

Mary is going through some tough times.  She takes drastic measures to survive.  But her husband, Jethro, doesn't understand.  It doesn't take long for both of them to dig deeper and discover what they need to do.  It demonstrates how important it is to LISTEN...really listen to your partner.  Communication is the key.

 It is so important to be able to communicate face to face.  It is so easy to misinterpret someone's behavior in today's world with texting and Facebook.  Hurt feelings need to be addressed.  It can fester until the relationship  completely breaks down.

Home in Huckleberry Hill was entertaining.  It was a joy to read.


I received this free  from Celebrate Lit to review.

Back Cover:
  
  Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin’s irrepressible eighty-something matchmakers Anna and Felty Helmuth are at it again. And this time they’re willing to rough it to get the job done . . . Mary Anne Neuenschwander knows she should be content with what Gotte has given her. She has a comfortable house, a fruitful farm, and a good, steady husband. But after nearly six years of marriage, she still longs for a baby. Yet her husband, Jethro, seems to care more about fishing than about his wife. Unable to bear Jethro’s indifference, Mary Anne moves into a tent in the woods where he won’t have to be bothered. But when her mammi and dawdi find out what she’s done, they’ll stop at nothing—including a little camping trip of their own—to help save their granddaughter’s marriage . . . Jethro’s greatest blessing is his beloved wife, Mary Anne. Nothing else in his life has turned out anywhere near the way he expected. Rather than burden Mary Anne with his disappointment, he shields her by spending less and less time at home and more time on the river. But when he finds that she’s moved out, he’s shocked. What will people think? What is Mary Anne thinking? And what clever plans are her grandparents hatching?. . .




Bio
Jennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, and The Petersheim Brothers series for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer and Home on Huckleberry Hill were both nominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Honeybee sisters’ aendi Bitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-two Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. Jennifer is represented by Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency. She and her husband have been married for thirty-five years, and she has six children and eight adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.

Social Media Link
Website: http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans
Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennifergbeckst/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Beckstrand/e/B0073GHCOG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1488910908&sr=8-2-ent
Instagram: j.beckstrand
Bookbub: @JenniferBeckstrand https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-beckstrand

Purchase Link
https://amzn.to/3aFrepp










Thursday, April 2, 2020

Hope in the Mountain River



What a beautiful story!  I am always amazed of Misty M. Beller's writing.  She clearly describes the scenery and the fine details in all her books.  I am not just reading her story.  I am almost in her story.

Elan has suffered much sorrow.  She was not sure how she can heal from this.  Joel was on a mission to find his brother.  The two met and this lovely story describes what they learned and discovered.

Both Joel and Elan suffered much.  How can one get through so much pain?  The answer is trusting GOD and believing that HE will never forsake you.  He is there always.  Good times and bad.

GOD hears our prayers.  Always.  Elan discovered GOD gives us strength and comfort.  We just need to be open and listen to what HE is trying to tell us.

I received this book for free from Celebrate Lit to review.

About the Book

Book:  Hope in the Mountain River
Author: Misty M. Beller
Genre:  Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2020
This epic journey is not at all what she expected.
Joel Vargas can’t believe he’s lost his older brother in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains after surviving their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. And he can’t shake the feeling that Adam—his only living relative—is in dire trouble. No matter what the cost, he and his band of friends won’t stop until Adam is found. He doesn’t have time to contend with the two Indian women who seem to be shadowing his every move.
After the devastating loss of her daughter and husband to a sickness that swept through their Nez Perce camp, Elan is desperate to find an escape from her grief. As she and her friend journey through the mountains toward the great river, a band of white men is the last thing she expects to find, especially as winter blows in full force.
When the dangers increase, accomplishing Joel’s mission becomes the only hope for all their survival. If the elements don’t consume them, Elan has a feeling life will never be the same for any of them.
From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and intense adventure.

Click here to get your copy.


About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.
She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

I’ve always been a horse lover, and was blessed to grow up on a farm. My brother and I each had ponies of our own and rode hours each day. When we were old enough to graduate to full-size horses, we met neighbors who also had horses and loved to ride together. The two mares they rode had a mottled black and white spotted look, which I knew to be part of the Appaloosa breed. Through hears of riding together, I developed a deep appreciation for those two Appaloosa horses, as well as respect for the entire breed! Those two mares proved they could outrun and outlast any of the other horses in our riding group.
I’ve long wanted to include Appaloosas in one of my stories, especially since the breed was said to have begun in the Nez Perce tribe who lived just west of the Rocky Mountains. I’m so excited for you to meet Elan, the heroine in Hope in the Mountain River!
Elan and her friend are traveling through the Rockies on their Appaloosa horses, animals who can ride faster and longer than all the other horses in their group—even through the treacherous terrain of the Rocky Mountains!
I pray you love this story as much as I loved writing it. Enjoy a glimpse of the famous Appaloosa horse!

Blog Stops

Mary Hake, March 31
Genesis 5020, April 2
Rebecca Tews, April 5
Splashes of Joy, April 6
Bigreadersite, April 6
Betti Mace, April 7
Simple Harvest Reads, April 9 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Artistic Nobody, April 12 (Guest Reviewer Donna Cline)
Pause for Tales, April 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

The Pick-Pocket Orphans

  A sad but inspiring story of two young people who made the best of their unfortunate circumstances. Alice couldn't live with her fathe...