Author: Julie Lessman
Genre: Romance
Series: The Heart of San Francisco
Number in
series: 3rd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 408
Time
period: early 1900s
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Julie Lessman continues to delight and
enchant me with each new book she debuts! This book had the perfect mix of
romance, adventure, and humor – all twined together into one neat story that
made me smile and laugh and worry right along with the characters. I found Meg
to be a sweet and endearing person who made me love her from the moment she
stepped onto the page. And Bram! What a hero. Mature and sensible, yet he still
managed to be a heart-throb and such a GOOD man. While Devin had his positive
and likable moments, all in all he was a great scoundrel. And reading the
continuation of Cait’s story from the previous books in this series also kept
me glued to this book. All in all, it was a wonderful read and one that will be
proudly displayed along with my other books by Julie.
**Many thanks to Revell for providing me
with a review copy of this book. I was not compensated for this review, or
forced to post positively.
Author: Irene
Hannon
Genre: Suspense,
romance, adventure
Series: Private
Justice
Number in
series: 3rd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 408
Time
period: Present
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Wow! Irene Hannon has hit another one out of the park with this
splendid novel! It’s the 10th book of hers that I’ve read, and she
hasn’t ceased to delight me. This book was certainly not an exception! Again,
she managed to pack each page with suspense and constant action, pulled
together with a sweet dose of romance and plenty of love – and not just the romantic
kind, but that of a mother for her child. I savored every page. I was never
sure where the story would end up next, except that I knew it had to end
happily – because Irene’s books do. Trust me, I would be heart-broken if they didn’t.
The ending did not disappoint! I’m sorry to see this series end. Highly
recommended for anyone who is a fan of romantic suspense. I can’t wait for “Buried
Secrets,” her next book!
**Revell sent me a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. I was not recompensed for this review, nor was I required to write positively. All opinions are my own honest ones.
Author: Lynette
Eason
Genre: Suspense,
romance
Series: Hidden
Identity
Number in
series: 2nd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 314
Time
period: Present
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Wow. Another keeper book from Lynette Eason! It was this author
who wrote
the first romantic suspense that I read, and she has remained the
first author that I mention when friends ask for recommendations. I’ve read a
number of her books and thoroughly enjoyed each one – Nowhere to Turn was no exception! This is a book that will
definitely be remaining on my keeper shelf. Her heroine is awesome; the bad
guys are through-and-through villains; the hero is everything a hero should be.
From the first page to the last, this book had me hooked and I read it in just
one sitting! I wish I had time to share the entire first page here with you –
it starts with action, and that doesn’t stop. I was there with the characters
in each scene. I highly recommend this book (and others by Lynette) to any
reader who hasn’t given her a try yet!
**I was in no way compensated for this review. These are my personal and honest opinions.
Author: Dani
Pettrey
Genre: Suspense,
romance, adventure
Series: Alaskan
Courage
Number in
series: 4th
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 327
Time
period: Present
Publisher
and price: Bethany House, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Once again, Dani delivers breath-taking suspense woven perfectly
with mesmerizing action and a delightful romance, all wrapping up in a
satisfying conclusion. (I feel really professional after that sentence – and
this sentence just took all professionalism.) But seriously. It’s all true. I
love the McKenna family and all their stories, and meeting up with my favorite
characters from previous books is delightful. Love especially Bailey and Darcy!
:) Anyway. Back to my review. I could NOT put this book down – almost
literally. I read it all in one day and was tied to it the whole time. Dani is
an amazing author and one of my favorite authors hands-down. I can’t wait for
book 5!
**Dani actually sent me a copy of this book, but I wasn’t required
to review it, much less positively. I wasn’t paid for this review in any way.
All opinions are my own.**
Author: Siri
Mitchell
Genre: Romance,
life
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 7.5
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 364
Time
period: 1920s
Publisher
and price: Bethany House, $14.99
My overall
opinion: This is the first book that I’ve read by Siri Mitchell, and to be
entirely honest (as my reviews always are), I was a little disappointed.
Overall, I’d say this wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t the perfect book for
me. I didn’t connect at all with the heroine, Ellis…though that sounds strange
in light of the fact that I completely followed how her brain worked. The
author’s note revealed that Ellis was ADHD, which made sense. I also wasn’t
really a fan of the way that the first person voice worked for this particular story.
Finally, I always had trouble with picturing Ellis at the correct age. I found
myself seeing her as being about 14 instead of her actual age of 19 or so (at
least, marriageable age). Picturing the heroine as being younger than she is
was kind of a serious problem here. All in all, I didn’t hate the book, it just
didn’t catch me as much as I’d hoped. I won’t keep it. However, I am open to
reading other books by Siri Mitchell, as it may have just been this one that
wasn’t quite for me.
**Bethany House sent me a free copy of this book in exchange for
my honest review. I wasn’t required to review it positively, and all opinions
etc are my own. I wasn’t paid for this review.**
Author: Carrie
Turansky
Genre: Romance
Series: Edwardian
Brides
Number in
series: 1st
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 8
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 324
Time
period: 1800s
Publisher
and price: Multnomah, $14.99
My overall
opinion: A good read. It really did remind me of Downton Abbey, as it focuses (obviously) on a governess. Some of
the scenes with the maids and other servants were very much like in Downton Abbey. The governess side of
things had some definite similarities to Jane
Eyre as well. All in all, good for a one time read, but not a book I’d buy.
Author: Kim Vogel
Sawyer
Genre: Romance,
life
Series: Heart of
the Prairie
Number in
series: 8th
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 8.5
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 348
Time
period: 1800s
Publisher
and price: Bethany House, $14.99
My overall
opinion: This book was delightful! It perfectly entwined being humorous yet
heart-touching. I was always sad to set it down and eager to pick it up again.
The characters were amazing – extra colorful and such fun to read about! They
came to life for me. This is a sweet story, all in all, relaxing and easily
moving.
Authors: Karen
Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, Carol Cox
Genre: Romance
Series: A Novella
Collection
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: I’m going to rate each novella individually
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 379
Time
period: 1800s
Publisher
and price: Bethany House, $14.99
My overall
opinion: This, as you have probably deduced by now, is a novella
collection. Four short stories by four wonderful authors! I decided the
simplest way to review this was to do each novella individually, so here we go.
A Cowboy
Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer – 9: The first words that came to mind as I
considered how to best describe this book were sweet, funny, creative, and
romantic! I loved seeing a character from some of Karen’s previous books. This
book was so enjoyable! A delight.
An
Unforeseen Match by Regina Jennings – 8: Even the title in this one is a play
on words, since the heroine is partially blind! The characters were engaging
and the story was unique and enjoyable. Especially the hero was admirable.
No Match
for Love by Carol Cox – 8.5: There was some great mystery in this,
masterfully presented for such a short story! It was a refreshing addition to
the romance. The characters were especially lovable here.
Meeting
Her Match by Mary Connealy – 9: I really loved the humor in this one!
Definitely a unique story and unique characters. It made me laugh, and I always
love that! Quite a superb book. So good!
All in all? This is a unique and delightful collection of short
romances by wonderful authors. If you’re already a fan of one (or more) of
these authors, I think you’ll definitely enjoy this collection!
**Bethany House sent me a free copy of this book in return for my
honest review. I wasn’t required to review it positively, nor was I recompensed
for my review. All opinions are my own. **
Author: Mesu
Andrews
Genre: Life,
romance
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 8.5 high
Type: Historical
fiction
Number of
pages: 412
Time
period: 800s B. C. (Bible times)
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Contrary to what you may assume from a precursory glance at the
title, this story is not focused on Jezebel (though she is certainly a player
in the grand scheme of things). Rather, this book concentrates on her
grand-daughter, Jehosheba. As you may have noticed, it’s got over 400 pages,
and each page has a lot of words – definitely full. Despite this, it’s never
boring! Mesu managed to absolutely pack this book with Biblically accurate
information, events, and people. She brings to life characters and stories that
may otherwise seem stuffy – but truly aren’t! The whole book has a realistic
feel and a gripping story. I could definitely identify with what Jehosheba
felt. It’s absolutely worth reading! I highly recommend it for those of you who
love Biblical fiction, or anyone looking for a creative and unique story set in
Bible times.
**Revell sent me a free copy of this book for review. I wasn’t
required to post positively or paid in any way for this review. All opinions
are my own. **
Author: Lisa
Harris
Genre: Suspense,
romance, adventure
Series: Southern
Crimes
Number in
series: 1st
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 8.5
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 320
Time
period: Present
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: I was just randomly browsing at the library when I came across
this one. I had heard about it in the blogosphere when it came out in fall of
2013, so I decided to give it a try. Sure am glad I did! Lisa’s book is a
delight to read. She is definitely moving up in the wonderful world of
suspense! If you’ve enjoyed other Christian suspense books (by Irene Hannon,
Lynette Eason, etc), give her a shot. It was a great mystery, sweet romance,
and very good book. Funny thing: this book had for main characters two girls,
Tory and Avery. Now the weird thing for me is that I know two guys here at
school – with those exact names. Remembering that the book ones were girls was
tough! Ha, but yeah. All in all? A good book that I don’t hesitate to
recommend.
Looking forward to the next one!
Author: Kim Vogel
Sawyer
Genre: Romance,
adventure
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 344
Time
period: 1800s
Publisher
and price: WaterBrook Press, $14.99
My overall
opinion: What a delightful book! My favorite part of it? The setting. A
chocolate factory is a primary factor in the story, and let me tell you –
chocolate factories are awesome, and this one is no exception. Just reading
about it made my mouth water more than once! This was such a sweet story (and
not just because of all the chocolate) and it’s sure to touch your heart like
it touched mine. Caroline was a heroine to love, and I certainly could identify
with her. Ollie too was a dear, quite a lovable hero. My only problem with him
was his name: Ollie is Oliver Hardy in Laurel
and Hardy to me and I could never quite take this Ollie seriously. ;) The
mystery was absolutely awesome and can I just say again – I really loved the
setting. This one is staying on my keeper shelf!
**Blogging for Books sent me this book in return for my honest
review. I wasn’t paid in any other way, nor was I required to post positively.
All opinions are my own.**
Author: Julie
Klassen
Genre: Romance
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 424
Time
period: 1800s
Publisher
and price: Bethany House, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Delightfully packed with mystery and romance! And one of the best
things is that all of this is set in a place reminiscent of Jane Austen or
Charlotte Bronte. And one special little touch…I checked on the back cover and
there was Pemberley, from the 1995 Pride
and Prejudice! That may or may not have made my day just a little bit. So
cool. Anyway, the heroine was sweet yet spicy – a delightful combination. And I
mentioned that it’s packed with mystery – you will have trouble putting this
book down! The words that Julie chose to use are perfect for the setting – I
was impressed. This book is all-around a delightful read that I recommend for
Regency lovers!
**Bethany House Publishers sent me this book in return for my
honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I was not recompensed for
this review, or forced to post positively.**
Author: Julie
Lessman
Genre: Romance,
life, family
Series: Daughters
of Boston
Number in
series: 3rd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 8.5 high
Type: Fiction
Time
period: 1920s
My overall
opinion: A sweet story! I really love the leading lady, Elizabeth – she’s
just a sweetheart through and through. And Brady! He is an upstanding young
man, and his great qualities shine through on every page. Julie did an amazing
job with that. He’s a hero to fall in love with. There was enough mystery in
here to keep me puzzled (which is more of a challenge than you might think).
But the conclusion was most decidedly satisfying and made me happy. As I’ve
mentioned in former reviews of other books by Julie, her books are more
passionate than most – though this was not her most passionate book. All in
all? This is a lovely book, sure to please!
Author: Julie
Lessman
Genre: Romance,
adventure
Series: Heart of
San Francisco
Number in
series: 2nd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 407
Time
period: early 1900s
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Julie has written another gem of a book! I enjoyed this one so
much. Allison was delightfully full of life (for lack of a better way to sum
her up) and daring and energy and fun. Nick was a classically mysterious hero,
exciting and heart-stopping. The setting there in San Francisco is fascinating
and I greatly enjoyed it. The whole book was less passionate than some of Julie’s
others have been, which I appreciated. However, it was still full of romance
and I really enjoyed the humorous situations into which the characters often
stumbled. I’m definitely keeping this book, and I’m definitely excited to read
more by Julie.
Author: Jill
Eileen Smith
Genre: Life, romance
Series: Wives of the
Patriarchs
Number in
series: 3rd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9
Type: Historical
fiction
Number of
pages: 314
Time
period: Bible times
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: After finishing Jill’s books, I am always amazed by her attention
to detail. In addition to that, I always feel like I really have gained a great
insight into whichever characters were featured. This book was no exception! I
found myself completely empathizing with Rachel and the anger she harbored, and
with Leah and the desperation and pain that pierced her. I definitely felt a
connection with each of them, and with Jacob. It takes skill to establish such
a connection, but Jill has it down to a science! As is usual with Jill’s books,
this one was Biblically accurate and even had direct quotes for some of it. It
kept me reading (and up too late). I highly recommend it to all Biblical and
historical fiction fans!
Author: Julie Lessman
Genre: Romance
Series: Daughters
of Boston
Number in
series: 2nd
My rating
on a 1-10 scale: 9.5
Type: Fiction
Number of
pages: 477 (trust me, the pages FLY by!)
Time
period: 1920s
Publisher
and price: Revell, $14.99
My overall
opinion: Wow. Julie knows how to keep her readers on the edges of their
seats! I’m about to start book three and am quite persuaded that the whole
series is brilliant and I have NO idea how in the world Julie came up with so
many fascinating twists and turns – it’s stunning. My apologies…this review is
disorganized. So it goes. I feel like the family situation here is going to be
super awkward, and wouldn’t actually work in real life – Faith and Charity were
both engaged to their sister’s future husbands at one point or another. Yeah.
Awkward. Also, a word up – Julie’s books are on the more passionate end of
Christian fiction. Save for older readers. Finally, I don’t always really agree
with some of the decision and actions made by or done by the characters, even
when the book makes them out to be fine – I feel like they are rather less
conservative about some things than they should be. However, despite these few
problems, I still managed to LOVE this book and come out giving it a 9.5!
Obviously the main character is named Charity (SO COOL), and so this book has
been on my to-read shelf for years – only now did I finally get to it! On page
466, I was persuaded that there was no way all the loose ends could be tied up
by the end – but by page 477, ta-da! The book was finished and somehow,
everything WAS resolved! The whole book was fascinating and impossible to put
down. The drama is constant. And can I just say…I love Patrick and Marcy’s
marriage (they’re Faith and Charity’s parents) and I want my marriage to be
like that when I’ve been married as many years as them. All in all? This book
had a few things that I wasn’t entirely on board with. But it’s definitely
worth my time and I can’t wait to read book 3 later this week!
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