The Promise Bride

Love Christian western romance novels? What about Christian murder mysteries? What if you could find both in the same novel? You might just want to pick up The Promise Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitman. I really LOVED this first novel in the Montana Bride series, and features Emilia Stanek who wants a better life for herself, her two siblings and her father, working for Spiegel as a Customer Service Manager. Living in a run down tenement in Chicago in the late 1800's, she struggles with the filthy living conditions and what the outcome will be if they don't find a way to live. So she answers an ad for a mail order bride in Montana. A new life out west, clean air to breathe, and a man willing to take her entire family into his ranch home in the Montana Territory.

After spending the last ten months working, she finally has almost enough money for all of them to travel to Montana, until their landlord demands $30 to pay for the cost of the repairs he is charging all of his tenants. Her father, tells her to take her two siblings and he will follow them in three months. She agrees as only a last resort and hopes she can convince Phineas Collins to help her bring her father to Montana as soon as possible. Her marriage was by proxy and she can't wait to get to Montana to file the paperwork to make her legally his wife. Only the one thing she didn't plan for was to learn upon arriving by train that Finn, or Phineas was found murdered. The Sheriff tries to convince Emilia to take herself and get back on the train headed home since there is nothing for her in Montana.

Emilia knows she can't go back to living like she was, and this time she has to think of her family first. So she becomes determined to file her paperwork and try to work the ranch in hopes she can raise enough money to bring her father to Montana. Her siblings Luci and Roch just want to head home, but she knows they need to try to find a fresh start. What she is completely unaware of is that the person or persons who murdered Finn, might just try to kill her unless they find out why he was murdered, and that she will also inherit all of Finn's debts as well. Her first impression of the ranch is a far stretch from what she expected and to top if all of Sheriff McCall refuses to let her go about unprotected until he can bring the killer to justice.

I received The Promise Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitman compliments of Zebra Books, a division of the Kensington Publishing Corporation and NetGalley. I really love the raw determination that Emilia has. To walk away from everything she knows and to take care of her siblings with a future she had hoped for is far from what she gets. Armed only with her willingness to rise above the tragic circumstances facing her, she will prove everyone wrong who ever thought she would need protection and that she would run back home when faced with adversity. Doesn't hurt to have a man standing by ready to lend a hand whether she wants it or not. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next book in the series but don't forget to check out the novella Come Fly With Me which proceeds this one.

For more information about The Promise Bride, Gina Welborn, Becca Whitman or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Promise Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitman

You can find Gina Welborn on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Becca Whitman on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Promise Bride, please visit Zebra Book's website. 

Whispering Pines

The pines on LeMaster's ranch is a special place where the four winds converge. It is where the Sioux people hear the voices of their great spirits who have passed away. The Sioux have a special connection to the land. The pines are where their ancestors offered praise to their creator. Church is our special place where we worship God. It is the heavenly sounds where the winds come together in the trees. They say different people hear different things and only the people of pure heart hear the pleasing sounds.

For Rose Langstry she has always dreamed that one day she would marry the right man in those pines but she is headed home to help Granny out on their small farm. She and her sisters left to seek an education out east and now one by one, they are making their way home again. But when her stagecoach happens upon a hanging in progress, she is appalled that one of them is her brother Frankie, and she will do whatever she can to ensure he is not hung. But when Morgan LeMasters tries convince her that Frank and his gang have been caught stealing horses and cattle, and they deserve to be hung, she argues that until all the evidence is brought before the judge, these men need to go to jail. Rose is convinced that her brother is innocent. Just as they head out for town, the stage coach takes a spill over a cliff, leaving Rose unconscious and Frank in control as he uses his sister as a bargaining chip for his freedom.

The men agree to let Frank go, with the vow that Morgan will find him and bring him to justice. But he will have to convince Rose and Granny of Frank's criminal past and he won't rest until Frank is convicted. The ongoing feud between Frank and Morgan is a long one and while no one really knows the details of it, they know that both men will not stop until one of them is dead. Does God have other plans for them or will justice be found within the whispering pines?

I received Whispering Pines by Scarlett Dunn compliments of Zebra Books, Kensington Publishing Corporation 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 novel about the way we judge people's characters despite the way we think we know everything there is to know about them. It shows how far Rose is willing to go to help her brothers find redemption and healing even if it means she overlooks their apparent faults. She doesn't believe anyone is beyond God's help. In this case it will be a loving and protective man who learns what it means to trust and to forgive and what vengeance will result in when they take matters into their own hands instead of leaving it up to God. I can't wait for the next novel which readers get a sneak peek at in the conclusion of this novel. Each sister is on their way home and with it, a novel dedicated to the Langstry Sisters. This is the first novel in the series and well worth 5 out of 5 stars in this readers opinion.

For more information about Whispering Pines, Scarlett Dunn or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Whispering Pines by Scarlett Dunn

You can find Scarlett Dunn on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Whispering Pines, please visit Kensington Publishing's website. 

Weddings at Promise Lodge

Spring is the perfect time for weddings, when winter has released its grip on new life just waiting to burst forth. Now that Promise Lodge is beginning to show the same signs of life with a new nursery, new people taking up available property, it now has a new Bishop as well. Bishop Monroe Burkholder arrived just as winter began and soon found love in Christine Hershberger. For both of them it would be a second chance at love since they are both widowers. Christine helps run the Promise Lodge along with her sisters Rosetta and Mattie. Mattie has married Preacher Amos, who seems to question the sudden unexpected arrival of Bishop Burkholder to their small town.

Just as the Sunday Morning service is about to end, a young woman arrives and announces that she has found Monroe and since he ruined her, he'd better make plans to marry her, after all she loves him and plans to stay in Promise Lodge forever. This upsets things between Christine and Monroe as well as Preacher Amos who now believes the new Bishop owes his congregation an explanation, but it will have to wait until things can be discussed between the parties involved. With the arrival of Leola, the young woman who has strong feelings towards Monroe, this really throws plans in the air. When Monroe explains that Leola is a special child from God, and her mind really is that of a child despite her physical appearance, he tries to figure out why she arrived here unexpectedly and without her parents.

He soon learns that Leola has run away from her aunt that was supposed to be caring for her while her parents were in the hospital. Her mom had heart troubles and it will be weeks before Leola can come home. Not to mention that she has thrown out her medication and removed all the labels from her prescriptions so no one can refill them or even know what she should be taking, without talking to her parents. Will the wedding plans continue or will things in Promise Lodge be shaken up so much that all plans will have to be put on hold?

I received Weddings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard compliments of Zebra Books, Kensington 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 the third novel in the Promise Lodge series which the premise behind Promise Lodge is the three sisters, Rosetta, Mattie and Christine sold their homes and purchased Promise Lodge to begin a colony where spousal abuse wasn't tolerated and peace was part of the program of living here. Seems a far cry from that with the arrival of Leola as well as a new pretty blonde baker who decides that this is the perfect place to start her business. I love how the women are in charge of this Amish community and they have the say in how things are run despite that fact that there are three preachers and now a Bishop living in their new small town. Things are definitely going to get interesting as the pot begins to be stirred. I give this one a 4.5 of out 5 stars in my opinion and I absolutely LOVE the delicious recipes you will find at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about Weddings at Promise Lodge, Charlotte Hubbard or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Weddings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

You can find Charlotte Hubbard on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Weddings at Promise Lodge, please visit Zebra Book's website.