True to You

"When they came to a light, she glanced across the small space in time to see him slide on a pair of sunglasses. Nora sighed inwardly. She might literally combust from the force of her attraction to him and be reduced to nothing but vapor. If that happened, it would be totally worth it. A good way to go."

Plain old Nora Bradford was someone most wouldn't give a second look to. She wasn't unattractive, but she also didn't go out of her way to make anyone notice her either. After being rejected by her former fiancè Harrison two months before her wedding, she wasn't looking for love any time soon. Working as the director of the Library of the Green Museum, she was the village's expert genealogist and historian. She also volunteered with her sister Britt to help out Lawson Training Incorporated in their corporate emergency terrorist training exercise and the last thing she expected was to be carried out of the building by John Lawson, the Owner and CEO of the company.

While she attempted to make conversation with John, she explained what she did in hopes of of keeping him from rushing off to quickly. He was interested in her, very interested. Only not in the way, Nora had hoped. He needed someone to help him locate his birth mother before he lost his eyesight to a disease that was inherited through his family genes. Only in his case he didn't know who they were and that is where he would need Nora's help. As she tries to keep her attraction for John in check she does some of her own research on him and discovers he is a former Navy SEAL who was awarded the Medal of Honor as well as a bit of celebrity when a book on SEAL Team 6 renders him a bit of a hero. A movie has also been made about his military campaign but he doesn't see himself in that light. It is something he wants to put behind him and hopes to find his biological parents before his blindness renders him without his sight.

I received True to You by Becky Wade compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  This is such a wonderful new series, The Bradford Sister's Romance, and this is the first novel in that series. The sparks are definitely flying between the two as they try to keep their feelings intact because John is currently in a relationship and no matter how much he tries to deny his feelings for Nora, he knows he has an obligation with his current girlfriend. The two will soon discover they have more in common than they ever imagined and it might just be the thing that pulls them apart for good. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. This novel as includes Reader Discussion Questions that would make a great addition for a book club.

For more information about True to You, Becky Wade or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

True to You by Becky Wade

You can find Becky Wade on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on True to You, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Another Way Home

I have to say, Deborah Raney, you had me! By the time I reached the end of this novel I could not see the way you guided the reader through what God's plans had been all along for the Brooks family. By the time I reached the end, it all made perfect sense and that is the way life is. It may not make sense for us while we are struggling with trials and adversity in our life, until we get much further down the road and can look back and clearly see the fingerprints of God unmistakably on what we just went through without knowing why.

Another Way Home from Deborah Raney is the third book in the Chicory Inn series, involving Grant and Audrey, who have decided in their golden years to turn their much beloved home of raising 5 children who have now grown and moved on, into an inn for guests. The family still lives in close proximity to their parents and every Tuesday night boasts family night at the Inn for the family to get together and simply enjoy being a family over a well planned and prepared pot luck meal. Now that fall is approaching along with the holidays, Dallas and Danae have been attempting to start their family for quite some time. While the older sisters are well on their way, it makes each month difficult with they remain childless.

The couple have now resolved to look at more options such as infertility and even that seems to be working against their best laid prayers to God from both them and their family and friends. It has also placed a huge strain on the couple marriage as each new treatment offers initial hope, but ultimately another month of still no child in their future. Dallas is opposed to adoption being the by-product of such an adoption and he doesn't want the same thing he dealt with to happen to their future child. His own mother rejected him as unwanted when he attempted to contact her at 18. As that appears to be the only option left for them to start a family, the Brooks decided to take some time off from trying and instead pursue other passions. Dallas returns to work and Danae takes up volunteering at a nearby domestic shelter for mothers and women in abusive relationships looking for an out. What neither of them say coming would tragically change their lives forever.

I received Another Way Home by Deborah Raney compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of the book to review, for my honest opinion. This is such a perfect title to sum up the entire scenario that Dallas and Danae have to walk through in their married life, and it was one that captivated this reader's attention from the time I picked up the novel until the very end. I am happy that this is not the conclusion of this amazing series and family and readers get a sneak peek at the upcoming novel, Close to Home, at the conclusion of this one along with a reader's discussion guide that is just perfect for book clubs. I had never considered how difficult it would be for a couple to try for a child only to not be able to get pregnant while everyone else in their family is able to do so without really trying. I love the way this one turned out in the end, not the happy ever after ending you would expect, but than again real life never goes according to our plans. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Another Way Home, Deborah Raney or where you can pick up this novel today, please click on the links below:

Another Way Home by Deborah Raney

You can find Deborah Raney on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Another Way Home, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Snow Angel

For a women living in the late 1800's in a wealthy family the last thing anyone wanted was scandal. In order to prevent that Jane Greyson was forced against her wishes to give up her daughter out of wedlock as her father had instructed. He wasn't about to let Jane sacrifice her future plans of marriage to a affluent family in his world of politics and law. Despite all her begging, he sends Elizabeth away to an orphanage and keeps Jane locked up until she is unable to locate the child.

Now 18 years later, Elizabeth is struggling to find her way in a man's world in Alaska trying to find her own claim now that the gold rush is on. The last thing she had expected to find was an unexpected blizzard and her completely unprepared. With her last ounce of energy, she sees a fading light in the distance, if she can only make it a little further. She barely whispers a plead for help at what she believes might be the door to a cabin before she collapses into the snow.

Noah Wesley isn't sure what he hears while in his remote Alaskan cabin in the woods, but when he feels God's call on his heart to move to check it, he finds a women barely alive buried in the snow. As he attempts to save her against the elements, he wonders just who she is and why a woman would wander all alone in the wilderness so unprepared, but those questions will have to wait until Elizabeth is conscience. But will Noah be able to save her from not only the effects of the blizzard but from the past she is running from? Who is Elizabeth really?

I received Snow Angel by Jamie Carie compliments of B and H Publishing Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained in this review are my own unless otherwise notated. This heart-warming novel takes a look at the Gold Rush in Alaska during the late 1800's as thousands moved west in hopes of seeking fortune and glory with the discovery of gold. For a woman to attempt to find her own claim during this time especially unmarried, but Elizabeth knows enough about gold mining to give men a run for their money. After the foster parents she lived with, she learned enough to help them find their own claim, but after discovering her father murdered the man whose claim he had stolen, she learned they were planning on pinning the murder on her. Now she has to fight harder to discover not only gold but who she really is in the process. For those that love historical romance, this one is definitely a 5 out of 5 star recommendation in my opinion.

For more information about Snow Angel, Jamie Carie or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Snow Angel by Jamie Carie

You can find Jamie Carie on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Snow Angel, please visit B and H Publishing Group's website.

All I Love and Know

Once again I find myself in a difficult place reviewing a novel that I am questioning why I would have wanted to review this novel since it goes against my own personal religious beliefs on the side against gay marriage. So for my Christian blogging readers, I caution you against this novel based on the premise that is speaks about not only gay marriage being acceptable, but also for the fact that it does against the very core beliefs God speaks against. With that being said, let me outline what the novel All I Love and Know from author Judith Frank conveys. This novel is based on the relationship of two men, Matthew Greene and Daniel Rosen who are currently living together and find themselves dealing with the outcome of Daniel's twin brother and sister-in-law who have been killed in a bombing in Jerusalem, leaving the men to deal with what will happen to the couples children. It explores how each of the men approach the complexities now facing each of them in learning they have been asked to adopt the children and how it changes their lifestyles and relationship.

While I can understand the issues facing the two men, I can understand how even these issues would impact a traditionally married couple, a man and a woman, who themselves faced the same possibilities and that is how I tried to manage getting through the novel to provide an honest review. The circumstances are similar but not entirely the same and thus the reason for my providing the rating that I did. It's times like this that question whether or not you even want to share a review but honesty is why I chose to become a book reviewer. They all can't be good and everyone is entitled to their opinion. In my own personal case as a Christian, I can't give this novel a great rating because in doing so would compromise the beliefs I have and also convey that I accept the novel as it is written and again something I can't do to be fair with my own beliefs in God.

However, other people will provide a far different view on this novel and as such, I wanted to convey that in my review. While I tried to maintain a level of objectivity, I had difficulty when the subject of sex between the two men were discussed and how they would maintain their lifestyle in the presence of the newly adopted children. My review is simply to state what a reader will find when opening the cover and if this does not offend you than you will more than likely appreciate the novel as the author intended, but for me, I have to be honest and say I did not like the novel even though the premise of having a married couple dealing with the suddenly adoption of children into their lives and subsequent consequences stemming from those decisions is a great idea. In my opinion, I'd give this one a 2 out of 5 stars based solely on my own rating system.

I received All I Love and Know by Judith Frank compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable one. For more information about All I Love and Know, Judith Frank or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank

You can also find Judith Frank on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on All I Love and Know, please visit William Morrow's website. 

A Portrait of Dawn

"The course of a person's life can be altered in just a day, sometimes in a matter of minutes.

The letter I received in the mail yesterday, carried me back to the day my life took a drastic turn. It began like every other day in my somewhat routine life, but this one ended with my life changed forever. It was sixteen years ago, but I haven't forgotten it. How could I? It will be stored in that one private alcove of my mind. The one reserved for the memories of those early years. Memories I don't want, but hey are mine and must be stored somewhere.

Unlike some people, I know the exact day I became pregnant. It was a Friday. One week before my sixteenth birthday."

What an incredible opening to introduce our reader to A Portrait of Dawn by author B.J. Young. We get the opportunity to journey back to the day when Bethany Braun's life took a dramatic change that would not only alter her life but every single life she would touch because of what happened that day. Beth grew up in an abusive household, not so much for her personally but watching her dad, Larry come home each night, and drink himself into another person she grew to fear. He would take out his bad days on her mother and Beth was forced to watch the horror of her mother being beaten. Even when she confronted her mother later, her mother continued to make excuses for his behavior. Soon Beth found that leaving the house when those times came, was better than sitting back and becoming a witness to what she was incapable of stopping. It was when she met Ryan, a boy from her high school that she found she could confide in. It was when she went looking for love in all the wrong places, that Ryan offered her more than what she needed.

Beth knew that if she told her parents she was pregnant, her dad would literally kill her and her mother. Her brother Joel, had left years ago and they lost contact with him, when her dad abused him for the last time. Beth wished she was able to find her brother so she could run away and deal with her pregnancy away from the abusive household she lived in. Ryan only wanted her to have an abortion, but at the last moment knew this was something she could never do, and never told Ryan. She would have to wait for the opportunity to tell her mother and hopefully between them, they could offer a solution to dealing with her father. But for now, they had to continue along with the same old routine, her father expected every time he went to work. It was how he was able to maintain a level of control that kept them both living in fear of ever hoping things might be different for them.

I received A Portrait of Dawn by author B.J. Young compliments of the author herself and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. This is a novel that needs to not only be read but shared with teen pregnancy on the rise and abortion at an all time high as the answer to this issue. I think B.J. Young did an exceptional job at enabling the reader to walk in Beth's shoes during every heart-rendering, emotionally-charged situation. I literally cried during so many stages of this book, because I could relate to Beth's situation. I did not make the right choice at that time, and have had to deal with my decision every single day of my life. But God can heal those broken places in our life and give us a new one, one of forgiveness, healing and hope. This is just the example of showing how God can take some of life's greatest painful moments and bring about goodness even though we may not see it for years. This one is truly unforgettable and one that will be remembered long after the final page is turned. For that very reason, this one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. I look forward to the sequel which we get a sneak peek at the conclusion of this one, Dawn's new day.  Perhaps the most memorable quotes of the book is one I will leave you with:

"I woke at dawn and watched in awe as God used the sky for His canvas. He began to paint for me a picture of my coming day; it was a parade of resplendent color that took my breath away. Then the fog came and my hope was that tomorrow's dawn would bring new wonder."

I will never look at a sunrise again the same way.

For more information about A Portrait of Dawn, B.J. Young or where you can pick up a copy of this incredible novel today, please click on the links below:

A Portrait of Dawn by B.J. Young

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You can also visit her on her website by clicking here. 

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: InspiringVoices (February 8, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1462405053
• ISBN-13: 978-1462405053
• Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 5.9 x 8.9 inches

Annie's Truth

As Annie and her sister Hannah get permission from their mother to go through their hope chests containing items for their future weddings, Annie finds her childhood Bible wrapped up in hers. When she opens the front cover to compare her child-like handwriting, she notices that among her family's tree containing birth, wedding and death dates, her birth day is missing. Only her birth month and year have been noted.

When she inquires to this missing bit of information, she learns that she was left in a field one night and was found by her father. No one has ever known how Annie had come to be found in that field that night but her best friend John Yoder, believes God always knew where Annie would be best raised. Yet Annie has her doubts. When her father Amos, forbids it, Annie presses her mother to help her. Providing her with some time, money and a place to stay, Annie's mother Sarah reminds her that she has always had a home with them. She hopes Annie will chose to come home soon because in her mind nothing has ever changed about the way she loves Annie.

Now that she has made a decision to try and find her birth parents, Annie is staying with a family who has left the old Amish community. Getting help from Rudy, Annie keeps trying to find the missing piece of her puzzle to help her find out why she was left behind 18 years ago. Only the longer Annie takes, it may result in her being shunned by her own community and leaving behind the opportunity to find happiness and marriage with John Yoder. Only her sister, Hannah is more than willing to help John forget all about Annie. Will she find out the truth before it's too late to come home?

In the first novel in the Touch of Grace Series by Beth Shriver, Annie's Truth takes the reader into a different type of Amish novel. This one dealing with the subject of adoption. Is Annie truly Amish or do the feelings she has inside, speak of a different lifestyle than she has ever known before? I love Beth's Amish novel and it shows just how vastly different the Amish and English lifestyles are, especially for Annie's character who has never even ventured out on a Rumspringa, or a period of seeing what life is like outside the Amish community before becoming baptized into the church. I can relate to Annie's frustration with her father's unwillingness to help her and when he refuses to even say goodbye to her when she is leaving, I can feel the pain in her heart at being torn in two.

I received this novel compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and have to say again, I really enjoyed this one. It's a different take on your Amish love story and tells the story of what it feels like to find a sense of belonging when you don't know who you are or where you come from and the reader is taken on that search in Annie's Truth. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the rest of the books in this series and even more characters to come to adore and love like family and friends.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today for those of you that love great Amish fiction, please click on the links below:

Annie's Truth by Beth Shriver

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