An Uncommon Courtship

Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn't be happier he is not the duke in the family. Free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, he has grand plans of someday wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he barely knows, his dream of a loving marriage like his parents' seems lost forever. 
Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier when she hid in her older sister's shadow-which worked until her sister got married. But even with her socially ambitious mother's focus entirely on her, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience before she's been introduced to society. 
With nothing going as expected, can Trent and Adelaide's marriage of obligation survive their own missteps and the pressures of London society to grow into a true meeting of hearts and minds? (copy of back cover)

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter was the cutest book I've read in a while. Trent and Adelaide were both so sweet, and adorably awkward with each other. I liked that gentle, shy Adelaide learned to stand up for herself, and I loved how seriously Trent took his marriage. His journey of learning what it meant to be a husband was one of the most meaningful parts of the book. 
I loved watching their relationship develop, and I also enjoyed the Austenian setting.
Their relationship was realistic, because they had real issues to work out. They had real fights, and sincere discussions. I really felt like I was seeing a marriage grow, which was neat. A warning to younger readers, though: they are married, so their physical relationship progressed more than is typical in Christian fiction. 
I really enjoyed An Uncommon Courtship, and as it is part of a series, I am already checking out the previous books. :)
I would totally recommend this book to any fan of romance or Jane Austen. 
*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

For the Record

Rather Than Wait for a Hero, She Decided to Create One

Betsy Huckabee has big-city dreams, but nobody outside of tiny Pine Gap, Missouri, seems interested in the articles she writes for her uncle's newspaper. Her hopes for independence may be crushed until the best idea she's ever had comes riding into town.

Deputy Joel Puckett didn't want to leave Texas, but unfair circumstances have made moving to Pine Gap his only shot at keeping a badge. Worse, this small town has big problems, and masked marauders have become too comfortable taking justice into their own hands. He needs to make clear that he's the law in this town-and that job is made more difficult with a nosy reporter who seems to follow him everywhere he goes. 

The hero Betsy creates to be the star in a serial for the ladies' pages is based on the dashing deputy, but he's definitely fictional. And since the pieces run only in newspapers far away, non one will ever know. But the more time she spends with Deputy Puckett, the more she appreciates the real hero-and the more she realizes what her ambition could cost him. (copy of back cover)

For the Record by Regina Jennings was yet another cute romance with a western flair. Betsy is a fiery heroine if there every was one, but she meets her match with Joel Puckett. They are honestly an adorable couple, and their banter and budding friendship really made the book for me. They were two characters I could actually see together; it was believable. 

Cute romance, plus cozy mountain settings, equal a compelling book. Add in the crime-busting action, and For the Record was hard to put down. There was just the right tinge of adventure in the book, but not too much to detract from the romance.

If I had one gripe, it would be Betsy's insatiable passion for her trade. Her ambition is so over the top, it jeopardizes her relationship with Joel. That aspect did add to the suspense of the book, but it was kind of irritating. I probably would have liked her better if she hadn't been such a selfish pain when it came to her own ambitions. That being said, she was an overall likable character, so I can overlook it. ;) 

I think anyone with a penchant for western romances and independent heroines will fall in love with For the Record, and I definitely recommend it.

*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

Wild Montana Skies

The last thing Search and Rescue helicopter pilot Kacey Fairing needs upon returning home to Mercy Falls, Montana, is to run into her mistakes. After a devastating crash during her recent military tour in Afghanistan, she is emotionally broken but ready to start putting her life bak together. She just wants to reconnect with her teenage daughter and spend the summer working as the new lead pilot of PEAK Rescue in Glacier National Park.
   But her mistakes aren't so easily forgotten. Because Ben King is also back in town.
   Country music star Ben King abandoned his past when he moved to Nashville thirteen years ago to start his career. He hoped to heal his broken heart, caused by losing the woman he loved. But when his father is injured, Ben is called home to help manage PEAK Rescue during his recovery. He doesn't realize his father has ulterior motives until his old flame, Kacey, walks into his house and back into his heart. 
   Now, with Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben will have to work together to save lives. But when secrets are uncovered and old hurts rise to the surface, will they walk away again? Or can they find a different ending to their country love song? (copy of back cover)

   I enjoyed this book. It was a classic love story in many ways, and I think it will appeal to a lot of people. It had several great themes, including the "secret child" theme, a favorite of mine. What can I say? It adds so much delicious drama! It was also a story about old flames and past hurts. It was a romance packed with excitement and drama, and there is probably at least one aspect of it that would appeal to you. It's a western romance, a rescue and paramedics romance, a hidden child romance, and an old flame romance. It's even a celebrity romance. 
   This book has a lot of themes, and I enjoyed many of them. I have to say, though, that I wish there had been less of them. I think any of those elements would make a great book, but Ms. Susan May Warren put ALL of them in her book. It was a lot to focus on, and it felt kind of flighty in the novel. We couldn't stay on one theme for too long, or go into it in too much depth on any of them. I think if Ms. Warren had chosen only two or three themes and gone more in depth I would have been more invested in Wild Montana Skies. For me, it was a very light read. I was never at the edge of my seat.
   That said, it was an enjoyable book. None of the main characters were obnoxious, although I personally couldn't relate very much to Kacey. It had a good plot, and plenty of romance and drama. I just felt it could have been better, so it was just OK for me. It could have been worse, but I would have liked it to be better. 
   If you're looking for a light read, this might be it. If you enjoy any of the themes I talked about, you should check it out. I would also recommend the Porter Family series by Becky Wade for anyone who enjoyed Wild Montana Skies. It has several of the same themes, although not all in one book. They are spread out, and I enjoyed them a little more than Wild Montana Skies, myself.

*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

Come With Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads

Where you are going is not as important as who you go with. Imagine that Jesus walks up to you, right now, and asks you to follow him. He doesn't tell where, and he doesn't tell you what it will entail. He just asks you to come. 
Will you say yes?
In her warm conversational way, bestselling author and Proverbs 31 speaker Suzanne Eller shows how, when you say yes, you take a step away from the uncertainty, the to-do list, the worries and excuses. And you take a step toward the One who promises to delight and surprise, who will transform who you are, how you live, and how you impact the world. 
So come. Walk with Jesus. Listen to his words. Step into the harder places of faith-but not alone. Learn who you are, but more so who He is to you. 
The road will wind, your feet will get dusty. But you will discover the unexpected beauty of following where He leads. And that is worth everything. (copy of back cover)
I really loved this book. The insight Ms. Eller showed into the disciples' lives was incredible and personal and inspiring. I gained new insight into who they were and what they went through. I think the perspective you gain by reading Come With Me is unique and very helpful for fully understanding what Jesus did in their lives, and how He wants us to respond.  
I also loved the personal stories Ms. Eller shared. They really helped put into perspective the lessons she was trying to teach. The format of Come With Me was also nice. She included Taking it Deeper sections, Scripture sections, Prayer sections, and Living as a Disciple sections. They helped to clarify and sum up the chapters for me. 
Come With Me  was a very inspirational, well-written, and well put together book. I truly enjoyed it, and was never bored. If you're looking for a book to draw you closer to God, and especially geared toward women, this is definitely one to check out. 
*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

A Tapestry of Secrets

Now in her eighties, Perla Phillips has carried a secret since she was eighteen years old. When she sees her granddaughter, Ella, struggling for perfection, she decides to share her secret to show that God can use even the biggest mistakes for good. But before she can reveal what happened during that summer sixty years ago, she has a debilitating stroke. 

Carrying a secret of her own, Ella arrives back in Wise, West Virginia, to help her Aunt Sadie care for Perla. Both know the woman wanted to tell them something, but she's now locked in silence. Together they begin looking into the past, but they may learn more than they expected. 

Will they have the courage to share their hearts? Or will the truth remain buried forever? (from Amazon.com description)

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. I think the dual stories of the grandmother and granddaughter were what originally drew me to this book, and the relationship between them didn't disappoint. They were very cute together. 

I also loved a lot of the settings of the book. A Tapestry of Secrets describes the beautiful West Virginian countryside very well. Ms. Thomas also drew me in with her descriptions of Ella's quilts, and the other interior design aspects of the book. I think anyone at all crafty or artistic would like the fact that Ella is an artist. I appreciated that Ms. Thomas actually described the art, rather than just alluding to it. 

So most of my enjoyment of A Tapestry of Secrets came from the settings. I did not enjoy either of the main characters, although their relationship with each other was sweet. I found both Ella and Perla to be surprisingly immature; I was especially surprised at such immature behavior in Perla, an elderly Christian lady. The lack of maturity in both their lives surprised and annoyed me. Who wants to have to read about an immature, selfish main character? I'm not saying either Ella or Perla were terrible, but there were very few times I could relate to Ella, and even fewer when I liked her. There was growth in Ella's life, but I had to deal with her obnoxious behavior for most of the book.

I also found A Tapestry of Secrets to be lacking as a romance. The romance was developed very little; it didn't seem to be the main theme of the book. I'm fine with that, but it was a little odd. Considering it was supposed to be a romance novel, I wish I'd gotten to know the male lead a bit better. 

I have pretty mixed feelings about this book. I think the setting was cute, and the writing quality was nice, but I did not enjoy the characters or the main conflicts the writer chose. I wish I'd liked the main characters (especially Ella) more, and I wish the romance had been more developed. I have to say, I was a little disappointed when I finished the book. You might enjoy this for the artistic and rustic elements, but if you're looking for a solid romance, I wouldn't recommend this one. 

*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

What Matters Most

Leta Breckenridge is forced to drop out of college to care for her dementia-ridden mother. After learning a severely delinquent account may force her mother into a less desirable facility, Leta steps out of her comfort zone and lands a high-paying job at an Austin public relations firm. But her dream job turns into a nightmare when she learns the firm is a front for a political opposition machine--and that the research she's been collecting will be used against her new love interest, Nathan Emerson.

Nathan is a rising political star being pressured to run a bid to unseat the current governor of Texas. He's already in a relationship with a woman much better suited to be a politician's wife, but he's never met anyone like Leta. Could this feisty, challenging woman hold the key to his heart? (description from www.amazon.com) 

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Ms. Gilbert did a very good job incorporating a lot of legal and political research naturally into the text. I could tell it was very well researched, and I really liked that aspect of What Matters Most. I felt like I got a taste of a very different world, and it isn't something in most romance novels. 

I also really liked both protagonists. Leta was smart and brave, and Nathan was kind and intelligent. I empathized with both of them in their struggles, and neither of them irritated me (which often happens in novels). They were both likable and relatable. 

I did feel like their story was a bit unrealistic, even for a romance novel. However, that is pretty common in this genre, so it wasn't a huge issue. 

Overall, I really liked this book. I'm a sucker for books set in Texas, and I thought it was a unique and easy read. Definitely recommend for any romance novel junkie. 

*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. 

Kingdom's Dawn

Sixteen-year-old Leinad thought he was a common farmer's son, nothing more. He wondered why his father had trained him for years to master the sword-not exactly a tool of the trade forfarmers-but one tragic event initiates a world of revelation. 

Only then does he begin to understand his calling-a calling no other man in the entire kingdom of Arrethtrae can fulfill-a calling given him by the King Himself.

Teamed with a young slave girl, Leinad is thrust into adversity and danger-for the Dark Knight and his vicious Shadow Warriors will stop at nothing to thwart the King's plan to restore the kingdom. Leinad will need more than a sharp blade and a swift hand to fulfill his mission and survive the evil pots of the King's sworn enemies!

Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil-and the future of a kingdom lies in the hands of a young man. (copy of back cover)

I had been eyeing this series for a LONG time before I finally got to read Kingdom's Dawn. In some ways, it was what I expected. It was an allegory, though not such a clear, cut and dry one as I expected. It didn't follow one distinct story in the Bible, which I appreciated, as that would probably have been boring. 

Chuck Black also showed some really fine values in Kingdom's Dawn. There was lots of courage, loyalty, love, and self sacrifice. Leinad, the hero, was quite heroic. I suppose there were some faults in him (he occasionally doubted the King, for example), but on the whole I didn't find him to be very relatable. He didn't have a great sense of humor or much of a temper. In some very Christian fiction they make their heroes and heroines nearly perfect, a model Christian. But that sometimes makes it hard to get emotionally attached to the character, as it did here. They talked about the hard things Leinad was going through, but Mr. Black didn't elaborate on Leinad's feelings very much. A lot of his (Leinad's) hardships were kind of breezed through....the book was very fast-paced. Because of this, I found it hard to empathize with Leinad, and couldn't get as attached to him as I normally do to my heroes.

So, as a girl, I didn't enjoy that aspect of Kingdom's Dawn. But I think many guys (especially young teenagers) wouldn't really mind that so much, and the quick pace of the book might appeal to them. It is an action book, and I felt like the action was done pretty well. I think people who are a fan of action novels, especially kids about 12 and up, would really enjoy Kingdom's Dawn. I'm looking forward to trying out some of Chuck Black's other books.