The Promise of Dawn

America. The great melting pot. So many have left their countries to search for a better life on this beautiful country we call home. In The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling, Gunlaug's eldest son, Rune and his wife Signe, and their three sons are brought from Norway at the behest of relatives Einar and Gerd Strand. They have offered to pay their passage to come work in Minnesota, with the understanding that over time those funds would be paid back. Gerd and Einar had never been blessed with sons and they need help in the new land that they have purchased from a homesteader that is covered with huge pine trees that they log and send to the mills in Minneapolis. The money had from those trees has made it possible to build a home large enough to house a family. They farm the land they have cleared, but need help. Gerd is not well and they desperately need the family to come and help.

Living near a small town called Benson's Corner, and the nearest town being Blackduck, Minnesota, there is a school for the younger ones in the winter. Once the trees are felled and shipped on the local railroad spur to the northern mills, we will clear the stumps and plant crops. With only one cow now, the family hopes to increase the number to have a dairy herd once the land is cleared. This is indeed the land of opportunity. So Rune and Signe Carlson along with their three sons leave Norway and head to America. Signe hopes that the baby she is carrying will live after so many miscarriages. When the family arrives at the Strand home, they are immediately surprised by what needs to be done. It seems that their need for help is drastically understated, and Gerd is completely bed-ridden due to a heart issue. The house is barely what you would call livable and is infested with rats. This will completely test the stamina of the Carlson family as Einar puts them all to work immediately treating them more like slaves than family. The younger boys help Signe try and get the house in order along with helping to care for Gerd who is a bitter older woman who screams to get anyone to help her use the chamber pot and demands food whenever she wants it.

For Rune and his oldest son Bjorn at fifteen take to logging in the woods felling trees that Einar hopes to sell to support his family. His unrealistic goals soon render an accident during a thunder storm that render Bjorn with a broken arm and not being able to hear. When the family tries to keep Bjorn at home, Einar insists that one of the other boys step up and bear the weight of Bjorn's absence in the woods. If they refuse, Einar threatens to deport them all back to Norway unless they serve the time that they have agreed to work to pay for their passage to America. It will take the patience of a saint to work with these two who call themselves family.

I received The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling 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 a great historical novel that really conveys the hardships that faced many families who came to America in search of a new life. Many of their skills no longer suited them and they had to acclimate and learn new ones if they hoped to have a home of their own. It would take working together in order for any of them to make it during any time of the year. Each season had its own challenges and it seems like Gerd and Einar have found themselves slaves that will do as they are told without argument. I found myself exhausted at all the work Signe had to do along with caring for Gerd while being pregnant. Life on the frontier was hard work and this clearly comes across in this first novel of the Under Northern Skies series. Can't wait for more and for that reason, I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Promise of Dawn, Lauraine Snelling or where you can pre-order a copy of this book due in August of 2017, please click on the links below:

The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling 

You can find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Promise of Dawn, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

From This Day Forward

To this date, there hasn't been a novel or book from Lauraine Snelling, I didn't like, until this one unfortunately. Since From This Day Forward is part of a series, and this is book 4, I found it difficult to grasp and understanding any of the relationships that this novel launches into. Perhaps if I had read them in order, it might make better sense to me, than merely jumping into it. I absolutely LOVED the cover of the book and since Christian Historical Romances are usually my favorite genre to read, I was disappointed I couldn't connect with any of the characters in this novel.

Even more than a third of the way into the novel I struggled to find any reason to continue as it seems more and more characters were introduced and overlapped that I couldn't find any one I could relate to and follow until the closure of the novel. I hate when that happens, but in this case it did. As much as we hope that all novels will connect with readers who pick them up, this was one time, when no matter how much I struggled to stay with it, I couldn't. Most of the time, a reader needs to identify with a character or perhaps their struggle and I was really hoping that would be with Deborah who has a deep seated desire to become a nurse to help our her community, but it didn't last.

When you read the premise of the novel is sounds wonderful but since there are so many characters introduced in the first third of the book, it makes it difficult to understand just who is with whom or related to whom. Oh how I wanted this one to work for me, but it didn't. This is one case where picking up a novel already well into the series, just doesn't work.

I received From This Day Forward by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley and would have to rate this one a 3 out of 5 stars. I am hoping that if you have read the other novels in the Song of Blessing Series, than this one will make more sense to you than it did for me. If you haven't read any, I would recommending starting at the beginning because all the previous Lauraine Snelling novels are usually some of my favorites.

For more information about From This Day Forward, Lauraine Snelling or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

From This Day Forward by Lauraine Snelling

You can find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on From This Day Forward, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website.

The Second Half

It seems like their entire life has been for this moment, a time for a new chapter and a new beginning for Mona and Kenneth Sorenson. Now that their children are grown and have families of their own, they are ready to begin retirement and make those plans that they have put off until now. But when Steig, their oldest son receives word that he is about to be deployed overseas temporarily as a single day for some unknown mission, he can only turn to his parents to help take care of his two children.

While it may have to put a temporary hold on their retirement plans, they know that they will take the two children. Where else can they go. Their mother abandoned them all, years ago and as much as they are eager to begin a new chapter in their own life, Mona and Kenneth accept the challenge they believe God has for them at this time. This will mean a whole new adjustment for all of them becoming initially full time parents again. Two children who had never stayed with their grandparents by themselves; there had always been parents along. Two full-time children, not just visiting and going home. Dear Lord, how are we ever going to do...to what, Mona wasn't sure.

It will also be a huge adjustment for  ten-year-old Melinda and five-year-old Jake, who would be leaving their dad behind to live with their grandparents, now full time. Not just visiting when Dad was home on fishing trips or during holidays, but until he came back. If he came back at all. So why can't they stay with their mom, Angela? They would do well to spend some time with their mom, I mean what kid wouldn't want to stay and get to know their mom again. One thing for sure, it's going to take a whole lot of adjusting on all their ends.

I received The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of the novel in exchange for my personal and honest opinion. As I am nearing the end of my own child rearing, I can sense what Mona and Kenneth would be going through. Wanting to finally have that alone time with the person you've been married to for years would be something I would be planning and anticipating only to have a monkey wrench thrown into the mix. Not knowing if this would be a temporary thing or a permanent one if Steig doesn't return from his deployment is also something you have to evaluate as well. Something to be said, for plans that work out according to God's and not ours can be found in this charming summer novel. I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Second Half, Lauraine Snelling or where you can preorder a copy of this novel today due out in July of 2016, please click on the links below:

The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling

You can find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Second Half, please visit Faith Word's website. 

Someday Home

None of us ever thinks that when we arrive at the later stages of our life, that the man we married might not be with us. Through death or simply a change of plans, we never imagine that we might face our final days alone. Sure family and friends might still be close by, but the thought of sharing a home alone is a bit more than we might want in our life. Who will we share those quiet moments of the night with, when everyone else has gone home?

This is the premise facing Lynn Lundberg, a very busy woman who has managed not only to raise quite a few children and seen them begin their own families, but also still helps keeps the books of the families plumbing business. Her husband was unexpectedly taken from her without warning and now struggles to come to terms with her feelings of anger towards God and her husband. Perhaps if he would have been more dililgent about taking better care of himself, they might have caught the aneurism before it took his life. Grandchildren abound each afternoon as she helps them bake cookies and host family dinners, but when they all head back home, the house is simply a reminder of what her life looks like. Alone and empty of purpose. They have suggested that she simply sell the large log home on the lake and opt for something smaller, but she simply can't give up the notion, she is meant to stay here.

When she is given the idea of sharing her home with other women who don't want to go it alone in the later years, she believes if might just be the perfect solution. But she will only trust that God will bring just the right people to her for this to work, and within weeks, she finds Angela Bishop, a truly successful woman who has tried for years to be the perfect wife or the appearance of one according to her husband, but will never get it right. Now it seems on the eve of their twenty-fifth anniversary, he drops the bombshell that he is trading up to a new model and has filed for divorce.

Judith Rutherford, has spent her entire life caring for her ailing and aging parents believing his promise that if she cares for them, she will be well cared for and compensated when they are gone. Unfortunately like most women, Judith believed that promise and dedicated her life to a man who never appreciated all she had to offer and when he passed away, left her with nothing and a feeling she would never amount to anything.  Is it possible for these three very different women to find a common bond that will allow them all to share not only a home, but very different paths for their future?

I received Someday Home by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review of this novel and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. I absolutely LOVED this story of three incredibly wonderful women who feel defined by the life of their past and thus their self worth follows when things fall apart in their lives. It teaches us that we must be willing to pick up the pieces and begin to realize that a new chapter is evolving in our lives that we must embrace as the new normal and face the challenges together. This is such a poignant novel of hope, faith and love found in the bounds of what these three will develop as they explore what God has planned for them in the future, one to prosper and not harm them, but to give them a future and a new hope. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars and would highly recommend this one for your summer reading list!

For more information about Someday Home, Lauraine Snelling or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Someday Home by Lauraine Snelling

You can find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Someday Home, please visit Faith Words' website. 

Heaven Sent Rain

You are about to encounter a young boy named Jonah and his dog, Downmutt. They are an unlikely pair if you should ever meet them. Sitting outside during a rainy day on a park bench, they will change the life of Dinah Taylor, scientist and pharmaceutical CEO of Food for Life. Some might call it fate, but Jonah sees it as God's hand in his day. While waiting outside in the rain, Dinah feels compelled to buy this inspiring boy she is drawn to breakfast. Not sure if he is homeless or what his reason for being on the bench is, besides waiting to go to school, Dinah is convinced she needs to know more. While he doesn't look the part of a homeless boy, even if his dog does, Jonah displays a childlike innocence and maturity that draws people to him like a moth to a flame. It's the very reason Dinah finds herself meeting Jonah every morning for breakfast. She hopes to learn more about him.

Dinah is fine with her life the way it was before Jonah, on the cutting edge of developing and marketing a product that eliminates the symptoms of diabetes without claiming that it does just that. Even though all the clinical case studies is showing surprising and miraculous results, she knows if they market it as a drug then the FDA will need to get involved and that will cause the product to be delayed for further testing. So she is marketing the products as a food supplement to bypass the long lengthy process to get it into the hands of people who need it now.

When a late night phone call from Jonah demands help from Dinah to aid his dog that has been attacked, she knows she needs to help. Unsure of why his mother can't aid Jonah, she meets him on the corner and drives him to an urgent care clinic for animals. Dinah only knows that Jonah can't lose his dog because of the bond that goes beyond a simple boy caring for his beloved dog. They seem to be connected at a soul level and she will stop at nothing to ensure that the dog receives the very best medical care. Even though it means more than a handful of stitches, a cone of shame, and a few days at the pet hospital Jonah is thrilled to learn he won't lose his dog. Garrett Miller, the veterinarian assures Jonah he can come by as often as he wants to see Downmutt. As part of his practice Garrett draws a caricature of the pets and their owners and for some reason seems obsessed with Jonah and his dog. He finds himself drawing and painting them whenever he has a free moment. Just what is calling on his heart and soul to keep this little boy in his heart?

But bigger plans are being put in the works and these seemingly random events all have a divine purpose when fate hands Jonah the ultimate hand in life. What role will Dinah have to play in Jonah's life? Will she have what it takes to help her through the transition she doesn't see coming? What is the obsession that Garrett has with the look in Jonah's eyes? What role does he have to play in what circumstances follow Jonah? Find out in Lauraine Snelling's latest novel, Heaven Sent Rain that I received from Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. There are no coincidences in life, simply divine appointments and in the lives of Jonah Morgan, Dinah Taylor and Garrett Miller. They will each find out what God is calling them each to do and how they will all intersect. Each of them will have their faith put to the ultimate test to see which will be refined and which will grow in character and strength in the end. I easily give this one a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars. Sometimes it takes awhile to see the good in the storms life hands us and it isn't until we get to the other side that we can see God's hand in it all.

For more information about Heaven Sent Rain, Lauraine Snelling, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Heaven Sent Rain by Lauraine Snelling

You can find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Heaven Sent Rain, please visit Faith Word's website.

Lauraine Snelling is also hosting an amazing giveaway. You can enter and read more about it by clicking here. 

Wake The Dawn

When a hurricane unleashes its deadly force upon the small town of Pineville, Minnesota, the small medical clinic run by Physician's Assistant Esther Hansen. Without adequate medical supplies or personnel necessary to handle the number of patients arriving as the rains and winds grow in intensity and in the back of her mind she can only hope she can keep it together long enough to treat those that need medical care. Thankfully she isn't going to be battling this alone. When U.S. Border Patrol officer Ben James brings an abandoned infant into the clinic for help, his own medical training will be called upon to help the growing number of patients that are growing by the hour.

Knowing how quickly things can get out of hand, Ben utilizes those in the clinic to help one another out until they can all be seen. He has one disable woman in a wheelchair with a broken leg, Hannah, help care for the infant who needs to be held and cared for. He utilizes a teenage boy, Gary, to clean up the three rooms so more patients can be attended to. It truly seems like everything is running smoothly despite the numbers of people that Esther can treat along with the growing number of wounded and dying that the local ambulance has to bring to her since the bridge is out. Now if she only keep calm despite the growing tremors of PTSD that seem to be lurking just on the edge of her sanity.

Ben understands how difficult dealing with PTSD can be as he himself has been going through it as well. When he lost his wife and unborn child due to an accident late one night, the only way he's been able to sleep is finishing off a bottle of his favorite drink. The one thing he has going for him is that he has never drank on the job but unless he gets a handle on the after hours binging, he might not have a job to go back to. Lucky for him, his patrol dog, Bo, gets him up in time for work. Now if he can only find something to live for once again, he might be able to make a new start for himself. 

I received Wake The Dawn by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. Lately I've been blessed to have read so many of Lauraine's novels and she never fails to hook me right in the heart so I can't give up on her characters. You feel the struggle that Esther is facing trying to hide her PTSD while trying to care for the small town clinic as best as she can. Even her counseling sessions haven't been helping much and dealing with her perfectionist mother who can never see that she does anything right is enough to keep her from wanting to spend time with her family. Dealing with their issues in spite of the hurricane that is wrecking havoc on Pineville, shows the love of a small town that can come together to help one another out when the chips are really down. This comes across in every way through the supporting characters that Esther manages to help even though she can't save them all. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Wake the Dawn, Lauraine Snelling, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Wake the Dawn by Lauraine Snelling 

You can also find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Wake The Dawn, please visit Faith Word's website. 

One Perfect Day

For Nora Peterson, this was going to be the Christmas her family would long remember. After all the countless times her husband, Gordon,  has been traveling for business, they were all going to be home together to celebrate those time honored traditions she had hoped would continue on as her twin teenagers Charlie and Christi grew and had families of their own. Knowing that Gordon would be flying home late from Germany she had hoped he would at least call to let her know he was on his way. When she tried calling his phone all she got was voice mail. The only thing she could do was simply pray that everything would be fine despite the worry settling in her stomach. Her children were expected home soon and then they would begin the Christmas celebration none of them would ever forget. Everything would be just perfect. .

For Jenna Montgomery, this would undoubtedly be her daughter, Heather's last Christmas. Growing weaker by the day due to a defect in her heart, she wasn't sure just where she was on the transplant list. For them, they refused to speak of things in their finality. Last time decorating the tree, last time making Christmas cookies or opening presents. At least for Jenna should could hope that it would be a good Christmas for Heather. But when she announced she was more tired than she expected and running a slight fever, Jenna knew from her experience as an ER nurse that these were not the signs of something good, but her worst fears being confirmed. She was losing Heather and they wouldn't even make it to see Christmas this year.

Sometimes life hands up things we hoped would never fall on our plates. We always hope that the bad things in life will escape us and happen to someone else. But when that doesn't happen, it is hard for us to remember how to breathe again. To remember despite all the doubts, that God is still in control even if it seems like this went by His attention unnoticed. If God can do anything, why doesn't He answer our prayers they way we want? For both the Peterson's and the Montgomery family, both of their prayers will be answered just not in the fashioned either had hoped. How each family deals with those answers takes the readers on a chilling look at what grief looks like during one of the worst times in a families life and how they will rise to find a way to move ahead and see the good God can bring from it.

I received One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained in this review are strictly my own. This is a difficult novel to read because it deals with death and the implications that affect the family in such a surreal way, you can easily relate to what it must be like dealing with the situation. While grief affects us all differently, there is no time table for when life returns to normal. For some, they find solace in getting back into their routines again; for others simply trying to find a way to get through the day is a challenge in itself. I believe Lauraine did an exceptional job at taking one of the hardest subjects to face in life and show the beauty that can come from it even though it never fades. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and it even includes a reader discussion guide that is perfect for book clubs or for small study groups dealing with loss.

For more information about One Perfect Day, Lauraine Snelling or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling

You can also find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on One Perfect Day, please visit Faith Words Website.

Breaking Free

One of the first favorite genre's I remember loving to read when I was a child were horse stories. Anything that evoked the love between the horse and his owner was enough to make me wish for a horse of my own. I don't think there were many young girls who didn't wish for a horse when they were younger. Now that same feeling came back when I read Lauraine Snelling's novel, Breaking Free. Breaking Free is a retired ex-racehorse who has been abused and is in need of healing and restoration if that is even possible. Thankfully for Maggie Roberts, who has been serving ten years in prison, this new outreach program of working with horses will be just the thing she needs to find her own personal healing from her past.

As she begins to work with Breaking Free to find a way into his broken spirit, Maggie realizes just how much this horse can sense her own insecurities. As she begins to earn his trust, she realizes that she has formed her own walls to keep others out from hurting her. She never imagined that one moment of coming to the aid of her husband would lead her to be involved in a car accident that would take the life of their own son. Feeling that serving time in prison is the least amount of punishment she deserves, it will take time and the love of a disabled boy and his father to help her come to terms with the mistakes of her past.

Knowing if she can rehabilitate Breaking Free, she will give him a new chance at life. If she can't convince the warden he doesn't present a danger to himself and others, he will be put down. But Maggie soon uncovers the source for the battle raging within Breaking Free's heart and the more time she spends with him the more she grows to love him. Will she ever be able to part with Breaking Free if he is able to be adopted or will she be forced to watch yet another thing that she has come to love break free from her heart?

I received Breaking Free by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest opinion. I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This is the perfect novel for horse lovers and for those fighting to come to terms with their own ability not to forgive themselves of the mistakes that they have made in the past. It goes to show that second chances are available to all of us, and that coming to terms with the loss and grief is simply part of moving on. God can use even that for His good and His glory. What an exceptional novel that will outlast the time it took me to read this. It is part of my permanent library and one I will highly recommend to anyone who loves an exceptional novel of horses, basset hounds and love! Easily a well earned 5 out of 5 stars!!!

For more information about Breaking Free, Lauraine Snelling, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Breaking Free by Lauraine Snelling

You can also find Lauraine Snelling on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Breaking Free, please visit Faith Words website.

Valley of Dreams

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Valley of Dreams Bethany House (November 1, 2011) by Lauraine Snelling



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning and best selling author Lauraine Snelling began living her dream to be a writer with her first published book for young adult readers, Tragedy on the Toutle, in 1982. She has since continued writing more horse books for young girls, adding historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers to her repertoire. All told, she has up to sixty books published.



Shown in her contemporary romances and women’s fiction, a hallmark of Lauraine’s style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Her work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German, and she has won the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.



As a most sought after speaker, Lauraine encourages others to find their gifts and live their lives with humor and joy. Her readers clamor for more books more often, and Lauraine would like to comply ... if only her paintbrushes and easel didn’t call quite so loudly.



Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Winston. They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Cassie Lockwood's mother died when she was little, so Cassie traveled with her father's Wild West Show and became an amazingly skillful trick rider, likened by some to the famous Annie Oakley. When her father died, she continued to work with the show, having nowhere else to go.



Now Cassie has discovered that "Uncle" Jason, the show's manager, has driven the show into debt, and he's absconded with what little money was left. Devastated, Cassie decides to try to find the hidden valley where here father had dreamed of putting down roots. She has only one clue. She needs to find three huge stones that look like fingers raised in a giant hand. With Chief, a Sioux Indian who's been with the show for twenty years, and Micah, the head wrangler, she leaves both the show and a bundle of heartache behind and begins a wild and daring adventure.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Valley of Dreams, go HERE.

My Review:

I loved the simplicity of this storyline and how things appear to go from great to worse in a minute. When Cassie Lockwood learns after her performance at Lockwood and Talbot Wild West Show, that her Uncle Jason has squandered all the money the show has been making on some poor business decisions, he has left the show broke and now being handed over to the bank to pay the debts still owed. Now with only whatever supplies she can gather together in a gypsy-style wagon along with a few cattle, horses, her faithful dog, Othello, and a hand-raised buffalo named George, and heads out to find a place that her father promised to take her to, known as the Valley of Dreams. Yet he died before he was able to fulfill that promise.

Now banded together with her friends Micah and Chief, they head out to the Black Hills to search for the land her father told her about. Along the way she is challenged beyond belief, with challenges of striking out on her own and not knowing what her future holds. Left with meager supplies and a roll of money, she doesn't have any idea where she's headed, relying on the memories her father told her of what the valley looked like, unfortunately Mother Nature has other plans when an unexpected blizzard rolls in and buries them in snow and cold temperatures. Will they find the valley before they lose any of the animals or her traveling companions?

I received this book compliments Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review, and loved the independence and strength that emanates from the character of Cassie. Still dealing with the deaths of her parents, she is now forced to make a change from the life she has known since birth! I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and is the first book in an exciting new series, Wild West Wind.