My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah

"There is no darkness, but ignorance."

That is the central theme for the novel, My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah, by Angie Dicken. Taking readers into the heart of the west in Castle Gate, Utah during the 1900's, we find racial prejudice present even in the past. For those immigrating from Greece to settle in the small towns ripe with the hope of prosperity and opportunity, they also face discrimination based on the fact, they are not considered true Americans and have to settle in a place outside of town known as Greek Town.

It is here that the Pappas family has found hope with the opening of their restaurant serving Greek food to those that work in the mines, more Greek immigrants. For someone like Alex who came here to make money to help care for the health of his wife back home, but tragically couldn't make enough before she passed away. He then used that money to bring his own family to America where they can all be together to make it in this new world.

Leanna McKee, a school teacher in Castle Rock, has found her own grief here, losing her husband Jack in an accident that left her a widow but also one with outstanding gambling debts her husband incurred without her knowledge. She dreams for a way to move forward in San Francisco where she has connections with her family, but without funds, she has to stay where she is until she has saved enough to make the move there. Thankfully that opportunity comes to her via Alex Pappas who needs someone to escort his niece and nephew back and forth to school while their parents tend to the health of their mother during her pregnancy. When he offers to pay her, she immediately accepts! Is this truly an opportunity from God or is this a complication she should avoid with the tensions building in Castle Rock against those that associate with the Greeks?

I received My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah by Angie Dicken compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for immigrants to come to this country, legally at that time and the tensions that they had to deal with. Just friendships with those immigrants was often meet with hostility and anger to ensure that the discrimination would continue, despite how very wrong it was. I love how it is something that is worked out between Alex and Leanna by the conclusion of the novel, but also highlights a time in our own history when things did not goes as smooth as we might have believed. It also shows how strong traditions and culture were to those immigrants. Things they didn't want to leave behind.I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about My Heart Belongs in Castle Rock Utah, Angie Dicken or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah by Angie Dicken

You can find Angie Dicken on Facebook where you can stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

An Inconvenient Beauty

Downton Abbey fans, Jane Austen diehards, want to get hooked on an incredible series of novels? Check out the Hawthorne House Series by Kristi Ann Hunter and you will be as hooked if not more than you are on your favorite area of interest surrounding the traditional Regency Romance genres! An Inconvenient Beauty is book 4 and the possible final one in the series and wraps up the love interest surrounding Griffith, Duke of Riverton!  Now that all his siblings are married off and beginning their own lives, Griffith realizes as the oldest, he must find a way to settle down and produce an heir for the families wealth to be inherited to. Only he isn't about to settle for just anyone that society deems is the right and top choice for him.

His entire family has married for love and not necessarily based on where a suitable lady fell on the social ladder in London. He wants someone who isn't really thinking she might be able to offer anyone, that way she won't necessarily have to work at being the best at all the social graces that come from marrying a Duke, one of the highest honors after royalty that is. With it comes a responsibility and a certain standard that must be maintained to keep things in proper order. Griffith believes he has found a suitable wife in the wallflower Miss Frederica St. Claire who is now going into her fourth season with no potential matches. She would make the perfect wife, because no one would even compete with her plain and homely looks and she wouldn't be out to impress him with things he isn't looking for. Now all he has to do is convince her by simply asking her to dance. Even all of London's society has been wagering on just who he might settle with.

Most think that Griffith will settle for the most beautiful and society's pick of the top females. In fact, her cousin Miss Isabella Breckenridge is working her way to doing just that with all the eligible young and older men vying for the honor to court her. He isn't at all interested in her but in Miss St. Claire instead, but everytime he calls on her, she is unable to communicate and sends signals that she isn't the slightest bit interested in the most eligible and wealthy bachelor in London. It seems Miss St. Claire has her own interests in a young man who has returned from the war, a solider whom she thought dead. Now it seems that Freddie will do all she can to push the Duke's attentions off to Isabella instead and often times it is under the most trying of situations, but then again, Isabella isn't interested in the Duke, because her Uncle wants her to focus her attentions on the members of the House of Commons to sway their vote for an Apothecary Bill he is pushing to be passed. He promises that he will take care of Isabella's family, simple sheep herders in North Umberland, but will anyone discover the true meaning behind Isabella's actions?

I received An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter compliments of Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley. This has been such a dream to enjoy every single novel in this series and trust me, you will want to read them in order to understand all the relationships within the Duke's family and how each came to marry the one they have chosen to spend the rest of their life with and ones that they will LOVE first and foremost over what society deems is acceptable. I LOVE Isabella's character because she isn't interested in the Duke for marriage, so it keeps her guard down and she can be the person she is on the inside without having to fake her way through being proper and with that Griffith falls for the true woman she is over the lady she is acting like. Well worthy of all 5 out of 5 stars and only wish there were more to look forward to in this series. There are some historical facts that were incorporated in this novel that are revealed at the conclusion of this novel in the Author's Note section.

For more information about An Inconvenient Beauty, Kristi Ann Hunter or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

You can find Kristi Ann Hunter on Facebook to enjoy all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Inconvenient Beauty, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website.

You're Gonna Love Me

Nick Chastain was a risk taker. There wasn't anything that he wouldn't do. From extreme sports and even the occasional dare, he never turned down an offer. He believed in living life to the fullest despite what risks there might be that something could go wrong. It was this attitude that both attracted Samantha Winters to him. They met at an accounting class and for Nick, she was his biggest challenge. They attempted to make a go at it with their relationship but with Sam's fears that one day Nick would be killed, they abruptly ended things on a bitter note.

It wasn't Sam's fault she felt this way, after watching her dad die while skiing, she knew that something life was ugly. This is why she wouldn't do anything or be with anyone who took those kinds of risks. Yet even after their breakup Sam had second thoughts and tried to reach out to Nick in hopes they might be able to work something out, but all her emails and text messages were never turned. That might be why she was more than surprised when she headed back to Idaho to care for her grandmother who was injured while horseback riding. It also gave her a much needed break working for a boss she hates, but she isn't one to quit when the going got tough. At least might give her time to put her own life in perspective.

When she saw Nick at the hospital, it definitely put things in perspective. He was the one to help her grandmother get help when he saw her fall from her horse. He is also more than surprised because Nick isn't that same guy as he was two years ago. He desperately wanted to tell Sam about the new life he was facing and the challenges that came with almost losing his life, two years ago, but it might also mean giving up on the chance to love anyone else again. If only they could find a way to resolve the past and find hope for a future.

I received You're Gonna Love Me by Robin Lee Hatcher compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is the second novel in the Thunder Creek series, and I absolutely LOVE the blunt honesty that comes across in this novel. Both characters are changed by something that made them face the certainty of death and it forever changed how they looked to the future. It is going to take some kindly advice from Sam's grandmother to put things in the light that they truly are. Only God knows what the future holds and to think otherwise doesn't convey that faith that they both claim to hold on to. A Discussion Guide is included at the conclusion of this book that would make this a wonderful book club selection. I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about You're Gonna Love Me, Robin Lee Hatcher or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

You're Gonna Love Me by Robin Lee Hatcher

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To read more reviews on You're Gonna Love Me, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Two of Us

I am so glad I held off reading The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin til the Christmas season, because this one is just so good, I didn't want to rush it and take my time enjoying the relationship that is played out between Mia Robinson and Jake Tanner. The two meet in Las Vegas where they are best man and maid of honor to their siblings without realizing it. They meet in a small cafe, where Jake wins a stuffed Hen that he gives to Mia. This is their meet-cute! They won't discover how closely they are about to be related until the day of the wedding in just a few hours. Mia has vented a bit to Jake, that her sister Lucy is making a bad decision in getting married so quickly just because she is pregnant.

When they meet up again at the Vegas wedding chapel, Lucy has started spotting and fears she is going to lose the baby. Mia thinks this might not be such a bad thing, since it was what initiated such a quick marriage to begin with, but puts aside her own personal feelings and takes over with her nurse training and manages to get Lucy to a hospital where she learns that baby is safe for the moment, but Lucy will be on strict rest until the doctor feels the baby is well enough that she can go back to normal life again. This doesn't sit well for Lucy who wants her marriage and honeymoon to Sam to be picture perfect, but Sam is more than willing to wait.

Mia is planning on leaving soon to head off on a Missions trip where she will take her medical training and help children in third world countries, but insists that she will stay and help Lucy until that happens. Jake insists on Sam and Lucy moving to the Tanner ranch where there is plenty of help and support to help not only Lucy, but Jake's mother Claire who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. This also gives Jake and Mia time to explore their own feelings for one another even though they agree remaining friends is the best thing knowing where they both envision a future for themselves. But does God have other plans? Find out by picking up this wonderful heart-warming romance! I received The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin, compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley and easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Two of Us, Victoria Bylin or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin

You can find Victoria Bylin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews of The Two of Us, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

A Dangerous Legacy

"Talent is a gift from God," he would say, "It's a sin to hoard our talent. There is nothing special about me except I can build things to make life better for the people around me. And when I do that, I feel God smiling on me." (excerpt from A Dangerous Legacy).

When the Drake family remains divided over the rights of the invention of a pressure valve, Lucy and her older brother Nick, believe they are following God's purpose in insuring that every single home or apartment building has the available to provide clean water, through the installation of the valves her Uncle Eustace, had invented. He was only swindled out of his legal rights when he was called to serve his country, and left a partially signed contract with his brother. What he failed to understand is that it limited where he could sell those valves, while his brother was free to sell them outside Manhattan for whatever he wanted and whenever he wanted.

Now that Uncle Thomas Drake is on the move to prohibit Lucy and Nick from utilizing their valves that Eustace's taught Nick to make due to the legalities of the contract. He has even stooped to spying on them in whatever means he can utilize. Although Lucy, as a telegraph operator for the Associated Press has developed her own way of spying on them through the use of the telegraph wire Nick has subtly hooked up that no one can see. Until the one time, he rival at the Reuter's press, located in the same building as Lucy, hears the coded message and realize it has nothing news worthy to provide to the AP. So Lucy and Colin Beckwith come to an agreement, that she will not pass along rumors of Colin's dinner behavior that would humiliate him in the public's eye, if he will remain quiet about the secret wire she is using to enable her to stay apprised about the legal status of their lawsuit with her Uncle.

I received A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden compliments of NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers. The thing about Elizabeth's novels is that the reader doesn't realize they are learning about a piece of historical fact that she has woven in to keep them unaware, while providing just the right blend of fiction to keep them glued to the outcome of the story. Now I completely understand how water reaches the tops of those high rise apartments and businesses. I also didn't know that two rival newspapers really did work in the same building but on different floors and how the AP had to lease out using Reuter's Telegraph wires to gain news from the Eastern countries until they were able to lay their own Pacific cable. Also of historical note is the reason and construction details for the Panama Canal which readers will find at the conclusion of this novel. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. This is the first novel in the Empire State series.

For more information about A Dangerous Legacy, Elizabeth Camden or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden

You can find Elizabeth Camden on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Dangerous Legacy, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website. 

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. 

The Writing Desk

Are you more of a fan of contemporary romances or historical romances like traditional regencies? If you're like me, you truly enjoy them both equally. The latest novel by Rachel Hauck gives romance lovers a bit of both in The Writing Desk. It parallels two vastly different time periods from the late Regency period to present day all revolving around a single piece of furniture, a writing desk. For Tenley Roth, she has been compared to her great-great-grandfather and father Conrad Roth for having the flair to turn out best selling novels. With her latest novel Someone to Love written during the time when she lost her father, she poured out all her emotions into her characters and of course the literary world is loving it. But with every best seller comes the next one and Tenley has just a few short months before her deadline and she is faced with writers block.

Besides facing an unexpected engagement and last minute proposal from her boyfriend Holt Armstrong, she didn't exactly say yes or no to him and has taken his ring and kept it in the same Tiffany box it arrived in. She is facing another dilemma when Holt offers her a trip to Paris to work on his screenplay alongside an award winning actress thinking it may relive whatever has kept her from writing, while at the same time, she is asked by her estranged mother Blanche Hastings to help care for her now that she is facing a cancer diagnosis and must endure chemotherapy treatments with no one else to help her. The only thing keeping Tenley from immediately coming to her mother's aid is the fact she walked out on her and her father and never looked back and now she wants Tenley's help as if nothing happened. Faced with such a choice she believes heading to Florida to care for her mother might give her the time she needs to resolve any issues with her mom in case she should lose her battle with cancer and not have a second chance. Holt however decides to head to Paris without her.

As the novel toggles between present day with Tenley and Blanche, it also goes back in history to Birdie Shehorn, a wealthy American socialite who has been tasked with finding a suitable match to keep the family at the top of the social ladder and possibly the next to replace the Astor family. But Birdie has a fondness for writing but can't seem to find a suitable publisher to take her seriously since when would someone like her need money? She manages to run into Gordon Phipps Roth, a man who is famous for all his romance novels and she believes if she can convince him to consider her writing, maybe she might stand a chance. However her mother keeps her bound to her own plans for marriage and arranges a suitable match with Alfonse Van Cliffs, who will take them to the top of the social ladder. But Alfonse isn't looking for a love match, but more along the lines of the same desires her parents have. If only her childhood friend Elijah Percy who is soon to become the next Earl of Montague, and has his own sets of plans to wed Rose Gottlieb to help shore up his weakening financial state due to mismanagement from his fathers business plans. Why does marrying for love have to be so complicated?

I received The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck compliments of Zondervan Publishing and TLC Book Tours. 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. I absolutely love that as a reader, you feel like you are getting two complete novels in one. With Birdie's saga as well as Tenley's they both share a love for writing that transcends generations and ties them both with unexpected surprises found in The Writing Desk. I love Birdie's true determination to stand up to both her mother and father against what society deems is acceptable for her social status as well as Tenley coming to terms with her issues with her mother and being held to such a high standard based on the literature both of her great-great-grandfather and her father. Whether now or the Gilded Age. Women want to be safe, free and loved. They want to provide for their children. In the Gilded Age, woman wanted to climb the social ladder. In the modern age, women want to climb the corporate ladder." But as they will both see, they are not cut out for what the world has in store for them and instead will follow their own hearts even if it means they stand alone instead of with the crowd. I easily give this a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars and includes discussion questions that make this a perfect book club selection.

For more information about The Writing Desk, Rachel Hauck or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel due out in July of 2017.

The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck

You can find Rachel Hauck on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Writing Desk, please visit TLC Book Tours page.

Any Dream Will Do

"When we worry, we take reality and move it into the realm of fiction. What is real is transferred into the land of monsters and dragons, which are far bigger and frightening than they really are."

Shay Benson has dreams. Dreams of a future, being married, raising a family and perhaps finding a job in which her love of numbers becomes a reality. In fact getting a job as a bank teller is almost too good to be true. It seems as if her life is looking up now that her ex-boyfriend, Shooter has gone to jail for what could be life so now the choices she makes from now on will be her own. Until her brother Caden shows up on her front door step begging for money. She doesn't have much but she is willing to give him all she has saved. Yet when Caden tells her he needs $5000, it is out of her hands. Her brother tells her that he will be killed if he doesn't find a way to get the money and he can pay it all back by the end of the week. He tells Shay to take it from the bank, since they won't know its missing until he can repay it. Stuck between that proverbial rock and a hard place, Shay knows she shouldn't but she also knows she can't watch the only family she has left face being killed either.

Now three years later, she is finally getting another chance on life after being released from prison. She has no family and of course, once she loaned her brother the money, he took off and she never heard from his again, even knowing it would cost her everything. She has no where to go and her only hope had been from an elderly Christian woman who wrote to her in prison that told her to trust God and He would look out for her. Yeah like that would ever happen for Shay. Look where God has gotten her up to this point. Being dropped off in the middle of the day right in front of church, she at least figured she's go inside and try to think things through.

When Pastor Drew Douglas sees Shay in his church, he is immediately drawn to offer her help. He knows of a place where Shay might be able to get a second chance if she can endure their year long program. If she does, she will walk out of the Hope Center with a job and a place to stay. He just doesn't expect her to provide him the desperate help he needs after losing his wife, 3 years ago to cancer. His church is fall apart and church attendance is down, not to mention, his young children Sarah and Mark, who need a mother's touch and lately all the well-meaning women from the church just haven't measured up. Now with Shay trying to make a fresh start on her life, she needs to stay away from everything in her past if she is to make a new future for herself. She just never expected someone responsible and respectable as Drew would see her for what she is, not what she did in her past.

I received Any Dream Will Do by Debbie Macomber compliments of Ballantine Books, Random House Publishing 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 and would almost line up as a Christian novel except for a random profane word uttered from a church member. The theme is truly about second chances and for not judging people by their appearance, or in this case their past. Too often people hold us accountable based on our pasts and not where we are at today. As Christians it is our duty to show people forgiveness and not condemnation and give everyone a second chance at making better futures for themselves. I absolutely LOVE this novel and can't wait for more from Debbie Macomber in the future. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Any Dream Will Do, Debbie Macomber or where you can preorder a copy of this novel due out in August of 2017, please click on the links below:

Any Dream Will Do by Debbie Macomber

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To read more reviews on Any Dream Will Do, please visit Ballantine Book's website.

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. 

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. 

Light of Dawn

First off, a disclaimer before you begin this book...if you have not read the novels preceding this one, you will find yourself struggling to make sense of what is going on. I had to go back and read the premise to this one to gain an understanding of what is happening since the book opens up with journal entries from one of the characters in the book. Light of Dawn is the third novel in the Remnant Series by Vannetta Chapman, and begins around the premise that long ago, people wondered what would happen if a EMP or Solar Flare disrupted the electrical grid in the United States rendering anything that required electricity to run completely useless. This has happened and the details are missing from this novel, unless you have read the previous two novels.

By this time in the novel, quite a bit of time has gone by and the group of rag tag team members that consider themselves like family have been tasked by the governor of Texas to see if there is any form of federal government father north in cities more than 600 miles away. Some heavily populated larger cities rumor has it have been decimated by nuclear bombs and thus the need to know what is out there since all communication is lost. As the team leaves their 'home,' they come across varies people trying to eek out a living wherever they can find it, much like you might expect would happen if such a thing were to truly happen. There is not enough law enforcement or local government to force citizens to remain calm and violence and anarchy are now the rule of the day. Some cities have been taken over by criminals that will shoot first and taken what you have on you after your dead. Others try and help those they can in trade for things that can be bartered. Cash is irrelevant since no one has anything to sell. Their only hope is hoping that the federal government is somewhere attempting to fix what has decimated the world on a global scale.

I received Light of Dawn by Vannetta Chapman compliments of Harvest House Publishers 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.  I absolutely LOVE novels like this, something very realistic, and possibly not that far into our probable futures. It makes you consider what might you do, if your major metropolitan cities were destroyed, all electricity gone, and chaos begins to spawn in the fight for survival. I can't wait to go back to the beginning of this series with the novels, Deep Shadows and Raging Storm to see how this group came to become a family that would fight insurmountable odds just to survive and for me, this one easily garners a 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion. The Author's Note section is extremely informative as the different types of protype technology discussed in the book is currently being used even now. Discussion Guide questions are also included which would make this entire series a great book club selection.

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

Light of Dawn by Vannetta Chapman

You can find Vannetta Chapman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Light of Dawn, please visit Harvest House Publisher's website. 

Gladden the Heart

This was a difficult review to consider writing because when I get to a novel that I struggle to maintain focus on and dream of how much longer it would take to finish it so I can move on to something else, I have to take a step back and ask myself a few questions. What can I remember that I have read so far? Is it simply too much to take it for a reader at the beginning of a novel? Do I care what happens to any of these characters? Am I simply distracted from reading because of other things going on around me, that is pulling my focus away? Then I can answer these questions quite honesty and give an honest review. That answer to all of them is "No." I hate when that happens especially when you have read the authors other novels and you really enjoyed them. It was not the cause unfortunately for me in this one.

This novel is part of an ongoing series, Amish Turns of Time, and this one is book 5. I can be honest and say, I have not read any of the previous novels so I can't say whether doing so would have made me enjoy the premise behind this one any better. I have read previous novels that were part of a series and could follow along until I get the just of what is going on with the characters. In this case, I honestly couldn't care about any of them.

It involves two very different set of people living amongst one another, an Amish Order and the Methodists which are close neighbors to one another. Those readers who are familiar with Amish fiction, understand that they are very faithful and committed to their religious beliefs. They try to keep those in the community from being affected by those outside their faith, and in this case with the Methodist preacher who comes to stage tent revivals, a few of the Amish are a bit curious like the main character, Susana who occasionally peeks into the tents to see just what all the fuss is about. Her Amish boyfriend, Adam is making plans to marry Susana and doesn't want to see her dabbling in the other faiths, no matter how curious she is. When her favorite cousin Noah suddenly has spells in which is preaches without remembering any of it, not only is Noah's wife Phoebe at bit concerned, but also the entire Amish community who like to believe that all their preachers come from being chosen in the community not just those who suddenly have the ability.

I received Gladden the Heart by Olivia Newport compliments of Barbour Publishing 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. For me, this entire novel really never connected. It felt like bits and pieces of two very different parts of the book were spliced together. The beginnings and endings of each set of circumstances seemed disconnected and choppy and thus for me, I had a difficult time truly caring for any of the characters. The spells that Noah continues to have increase in frequency and I can understand why those in the Amish faith might fear this situation, and thus the need to keep them separated while the leaders of the community can figure out just what to do with them. Other readers might feel differently about this novel, but for me, it just fell flat and thus the need for a 2 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.  This just wasn't a favorite for me.

For more information about Gladden the Heart, Olivia Newport or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Gladden the Heart by Olivia Newport

You can find Olivia Newport on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

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. 

High As The Heavens

Living in a country involved in the midst of a great war would be difficult. For those living in Brussels during the Great War or WWI as it was known, difficulty became the word of the day, especially when their small towns were thrust into German occupation and they simply took what they wanted, be it women, children, or any goods they deemed necessary for their survival. It's been three long years dealing with the German occupation and at times, Evelyn Marche's family has had to endure German borders as well, most of them soldiers passing through. It has also given them some privileges as well since her family ran a small cafè, they now keep it open serving whatever is available to the Germans who come there. It offers Evelyn and her family a small respite from being further hassled by their presence in their small town.

It also has given Evelyn time to find ways to transport messages to the allies about the developments she learns of with so many German soldiers getting drunk on the beer that flows freely from their cafè. Her mother also has a hand in helping with the war effort with the way she crafts lace to be delivered by Evelyn to those who desperately need it. Evelyn is doing all she can to survive after losing her brother and sister when they were forced aboard a train, but has learned that they may have escaped and now live in France in the small town of Anor.

Her work as a Red Cross nurse has it benefits and as such, most German's don't question her comings and goings at all hours of the night, especially since receiving the Iron Cross in aiding saving one of their German officers. He now runs most of the staff at the hospital but has also seen to aiding Eveyln's family when he can. But his first and foremost call to duty is to Germany. When a plane crashes late one evening, Evelyn arrives to find the pilot has succumbed to his injuries but the passenger of the plane is her husband she believed had died three years ago. Now she will have to risk everything if she is to save him before they are both discovered as German spies.

I received High As The Heavens by Kate Breslin 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.  I love that so much about this novel is based on historical facts with just the simple changing of the character's names. The true story of three women were remarkable in their efforts to aid the allies with their messages about the Germans in the occupied territory. Most of all, I love Evelyn's efforts to not only save her husband but also to do what she could to reunite her family that had been torn apart from the war. For those that love historical or WWI fiction, then this is a novel for you. I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars because in some places the story just seemed to go on too long. I was happy with how it ended and love the author's note at the end explaining the facts that went into creating this novel. Reader Discussion Questions are included at the conclusion of this novel which would make for a great book club selection.

For more information about High As The Heavens, Kate Breslin, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

High As The Heavens by Kate Breslin

You can find Kate Breslin on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

For more reviews on High As The Heavens, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

 

Beloved Hope

A man can't live without hope. Nor can a woman and in Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson, Hope Flanagan comes face to face with her past she longed to forget that happened two years ago. The Whitman Massacre had led to the deaths of more than just Dr. Whitman and his wife, but also the only man Hope wanted to marry and loved with all her heart. Watching him being killed in front of her while she watched the life seep out of him was hard for her, but not before being taken captive by the Cayuse Indians who staged this. She was raped and left with an unborn child of the man who had taken more than just her innocence. She wanted nothing more out of life including her own. But after giving birth and placing that child into the hands of a couple who wanted a baby, Hope could not seem to find her way back to any normal sense of life. Even two years later, she built up such a wall around her, that all she wanted was to be left alone and far away from friends or even finding another man to love.

Now that she has been asked to testify in the trial of the five Cayuse Indians responsible for the murders of those at the Whitman Mission, she knows she can never let the possibility of the one man who took more than just her life away, walk away if they found him not guilty. In fact there was fear of that in light of those in the US government who wanted to grant peace between the white men and the Indians, even if it meant letting them go free. Hope was going to make sure the last thing this Indian did was to walk free. Perhaps that is why she managed to sneak past the armed guards and found her way into the jail cell that held the man who had taken everything from her. Now she was going to ensure he never lived another day, when she pulled the gun from her pocket. She just needed to find a way to pull the trigger and then it would all be over.

Lieutenant Lance Kenner wasn't about to let Hope make a mistake and when he saw her holding the gun on one of his prisoners, he assured her that this man's life wasn't worth her time. He knew that her and most of the women in Oregon City were trying to come to terms with what had happened and Hope was so sure that no man would want her ever again. But Lance Kenner was not like the men she had met before. Being from New Orleans and having lost his own family, all he was looking for when he met Hope was simply a friend to help get him through this trial so he could be done with serving his time and get back to running the plantation his family had left him. But it seems that they both might just need the right friend in order to gain more than just their hope back, but also to learn to trust God and understand that forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook, it's about letting go of the hurt they have caused you that you continue to carry with you every single day.

I received Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson 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 the second novel in the Heart of the Frontier Series which picks up two years later after the Whitman Massacre that Treasured Grace covered in the first novel. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to face your accusers and I understood the feelings of hatred and anger that Hope must have felt. You would hope there would be a release of those feelings once the guilty have been punished but as most of us know, it doesn't happen like we would want to believe it would. Unless we choose to let go of those past feelings and let God handle it, we will continue to drag around that chain until it grows too heavy for us and life simply continues to pass us by. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the third novel that must revolve around Mercy's life, the youngest of the Flanagan sisters.

For more information about Beloved Hope, Tracie Peterson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson

You can find Tracie Peterson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Beloved Hope, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

A Matter of Trust

"No one in trouble should be worried about whether they deserve help. They need help, and that's the point."

For Gage Watson, a member of the PEAK Blackbear Ski Patrol, find the lost was just another day at work. Being a former national free-riding snow boarder, this was all that remained of his time as a champion. But that didn't mean that in the world of social media and YouTube, that younger adults didn't dream of following in his proverbial footsteps. With enough research, the things that Gage achieved in his former lime light, he now had to find those thrill seekers before they did something foolish and got hurt or even worse, killed. That was the past Gage was still trying to recover from. The day when Dylan was killed trying to follow in Gage's line along Outlaw Mountain. Even though he tried to dissuade this kid from trying the same thing he had success at, this time, an unfortunate avalanche claimed Dylan's life, but also the life Gage had known. Lawsuits lead to a settlement that cost him sponsorships, awards and his future as a professional snow boarder. Now he spent his hours saving those who got caught up in that fame to prevent another death from occurring if he could help it. He just never thought that Ella Blair would waltz back into his life three years later.

Ella was always trying to convince her younger brother Oliver that his need for thrills might just get himself killed. When she followed him to Montana, the last person she expected to run into was Gage Watson again. He had revoked Oliver's season pass along with his buddy Bradley who thought dressing up as an inflatable T-Rex and videotaping it was the thing to begin their own road to fame and garner some viral videos. Ella knew that Oliver wanted to try the same thing as Dylan had done but this time with success. So when she awoke the following morning and discovering that Oliver and Bradley were missing, she knew exactly where he was headed and who she needed to ask for help. The only one brave enough to find her brother especially when a blizzard was just hours away from them and they discover that a helicopter had already been charted to drop the two off at the top of the summit.

Gage knew that there was no one else to go after them but himself. He was the only one who possessed the skills needed to find two amateurs lost in Glacier National Park with a blizzard only hours away. When Ella insisted that she be allowed to accompany Gage on this mission, she knew she had to convince him to let her come. She could lose the only family she had left and the one man she loved but had never managed to tell him. She was the one responsible for taking him to court as a junior attorney working for a large firm that Dylan's family had hired. She knew that some of the evidence that was uncovered would exonerate Gage from all the charges and even if it meant losing her law license she knew she would need to tell him the truth, if he will let her come with him.

I received A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren 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. Since this is the third novel in the Montana Rescue Series, there were some back stories that I missed because I picked this one up without reading the prior novels, Wild Montana Skies and Rescue Me, but I hope to pick those up and enjoy reading it from beginning to end. As a random group of people that make up the PEAK rescue team, each of them has their own novel dedicated to their story as they weave into each consecutive one in the series. In this one, Gage and Ella get a chance to discover the true meaning of trust and also what forgiveness means if they are to have any hope of a future.

What happens when those choices go south? So often we blame ourselves or others - and maybe rightly so. But we also seem to forget that God doesn't stop loving us because we make a mistake or even a bad choice. Some people, like Ella, live their lives trying to do everything right, fearing that if they mess up, God won't like them, won't rescue them. And others like Gage, refuse to believe that God could be on their side because of their biggest failures. Lies. We can't live a life free of mistakes - they're one of our biggest tools for learning. And God lets us walk into mistakes! He warns us, yes, and suggests we stay in his line, but he not only lets us choose our line, but he stays with us if we take our own course. And helps us pick up the debris when we wipe out. Not because we're so awesome. But because He is awesome. And He loves us. Period. I easily give this a 5 out of 5 stars simply because I couldn't put it down til it was finished. Like a great piece of chocolate cake smothered in creamy frosting. It is that great and there is a fourth novel coming soon!

For more information about A Matter of Trust, Susan May Warren or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren

You can find Susan May Warren on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Matter of Trust, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Under A Summer Sky

Growing up, I had a boy that lived next door to us and our families were the very best of friends. The kind you plan vacations together and then at some point, you see that boy next door as something else besides just your childhood friend. Perhaps a future romance?

In Under A Summer Sky by Melody Carlson, Nicole Anderson is searching for something to inspire a bit of creativity in her lesson plans as a high school art teacher in Seattle. Her mother has the perfect idea and with just a weekend to plan for it, they take an unexpected shopping trip to prepare for her summer job. Vivian Graham is taking a three month world cruise with her husband and has offered a manager position at her art gallery in Savannah, Georgia. She believes that Nicole has just what this shop needs in order to run it, despite the looming presence of Amyra, the employee just about everyone in the Graham family despises. She believes since Vivian will be gone, the job of managing the art galley belongs to her and it's just a matter of time before she sends Nicole packing.

Vivian has offered Nicole the luxury of staying in their palatial Southern home in her absence along with the keys to her SUV to lend her the opportunity to transport any art pieces as needed. She has also placed an order for business cards for Nicole as manager, but she fails to let Amyra in on that little detail. Not to mention that the Grahams are long time friends of the Anderson's, she now learns that Alex, the most handsome of the brothers, whom she had a crush on, is now newly divorced with a teenage daughter as well as Ryan, the youngest brother who has just ended a relationship with Amyra and seems to be in a potential engagement to the town's sweetheart Cassidy. One thing is certain, this summer won't be boring in the least!

I received Under A Summer Sky by Melody Carlson 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 sweet summer romance, coupled with two very different eligible men who fancy Nicole's attention along with the rocky relationship she has with Amyra who has her target set on Nicole for the job at the Graham Gallery. With moss lined trees and ghost tours, the Savannah southern charm is bound to get readers in the mood for some southern romance. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars because it is one I could relate to from my early childhood and this one keeps you longing for those southern summer nights complete with fireworks aplenty. This is the third novel in the Follow Your Heart series with Once Upon A Summertime and All Summer Long preceding this one. Available in paperback and eBook formats.

For more information about Under a Summer Sky, Melody Carlson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Under A Summer Sky by Melody Carlson 

You can find Melody Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Under A Summer Sky, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Trusting Grace

"Grace Bidwell pushed her way through the busy mercantile store in the bustling town of Bozeman, certain that it would be the most beneficial place to post a HIRED HELP sign for everyone to see."

I love looking at the opening sentence of novels I read. I often times think back and wonder given that opening sentence is it enough to make me want to read further and how much thought do authors give in deciding how any novel will begin. For me, a serious lover of anything pertaining to the western romance genre, I absolutely LOVED, Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan. This is the third novel in the Virtues and Vices of the Old West series, with The Trouble with Patience and A Sweet Misfortune leading the way.

Grace Bidwell is a young widow who is taking care of her father who has suffered what they believe might be a stroke, and tries valiantly to run the farm while he recovers. But Grace knows she will need help not knowing when her father might recover and she simply can't manage to run the house and get the potatoes in the ground to have a healthy harvest. She just hopes she can find a man suitable to help.

Robert Fraiser is trying his best to be a father to three young children he just learned are now his. After losing his wife, he realizes she never trusted him enough to let him know she had them. Now that his sister-in-law is done trying to care for them with four of her own, Robert struggles to find a job to help get them all at least into a suitable boarding house. But it may take awhile. The children, Tom, the oldest, Becky and Sarah know that they have been a burden to Robert and try and figure out a way to find money to get them off of sleeping wherever they can find room under the stars and living in a wagon, hunting off the land to provide any food for all of them. When Robert lands a job working for Grace, he doesn't tell her about the children, because he wants to provide for them on his own. Yet he doesn't realize that Grace has longed for children she believes she will never have since losing her husband and now caring for her father. Seems like they both have issues with trust that they will need to resolve if any of them have hopes for a better future.

I received Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan 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 andments were received, unless specified otherwise. I love that Grace is a strong and determine woman who believes she can manage on her own, yet cares so deeply for her family, friends and a delightful trio of young children she finds on the street in town. She truly has a beautiful spirit and self-esteem but it will take both her and Robert working on their own issues of trust from past marriages before they can ever hope to make something of the feelings developing for all of them including the children. My favorite has to be Sarah, whose child like faith in God is so pure and honest that she never fears God and his angels are watching out for them all. 5 out of 5 stars and now I have to go back and read the previous two novels in this series. This one can be read as a stand alone as I did, but believe that the characters you meet in this novel has their own stories to share in the previous novels in this series.

For more information about Trusting Grace, Maggie Brendan or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan

You can find Maggie Brendan on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Trusting Grace, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

The Assault

If you love anything dealing with the supernatural from a Christian perspective, then you need to check out the Harbinger Series. Each cycle of the series takes the talents of well-known Christian authors and gives them the opportunity to expand on an ongoing series with very different characters point of view. Think of it, like a television series but in this case each author is adding their own spin to the continuing saga that is plaguing a unique set of characters from vastly different backgrounds. This cycle of the Harbinger series is the second one and incorporates the stories of The Revealing by Bill Myers, Infestation by Frank Peretti, Infiltration by Angela Hunt and The Fog by Alton Gansky.

In the series, Bill Myers writes as Brenda, a street-hustling tattoo artist who sees images of the future. Frank Peretti writes as the Professor, the atheist ex-priest who is ruled by logic. Angela Hunt writes as Andi, the professor's brilliant but geeky assistant who sees inexplicable patterns and Alton Gansky writes as Tank, the naive, big-hearted jock with a surprising connection to a healing power. So instead of the four talented authors writing one novella together, this comes together like a television series. There is an overarching storyline into which they each plug their own novellas, with each story written from our characters point of view.

In The Revealing, the team is gathered together under the direction of Bill Myers and they find themselves searching for the Spear of Destiny, which is coveted by those who seek it because it is said that those that weld the instrument that was used to plunge into the body of Jesus Christ on the cross still retains some supernatural properties and now the hunt it on for those who want to keep it hidden and those who want it found. In The Infestation by Frank Peretti, the team is thrust back into their pasts to deal with situations that were never resolved and this time an unseen fungus is attempting to infect the world without anyone knowing what is happening. When one of the team is affected will they be able to figure out a way to stop it before it kills them?

In Infiltration, the team discover a secret plot by those that they have been following are now all connected to their various discoveries and now they are being hunted one by one by something that no one can see but involves going back into their pasts before they were united as if they never met. They will have to convince each other that they do have a connection in some future event if they hope to succeed in not only keeping the team together but keeping them alive. Finally in The Fog, Alton Gansky takes our team to the top of a high rise building as a fog rushes in with the ability not only to kill on ground level but it begins to rise and with it the body counts continue to climb as well.

I received The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky 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.  I have absolutely LOVED this entire series and even though these individual books were written before, they are collected in groups of four known as the Cycle of the Harbinger series. Readers even get a sneak peek at the coming Cycle Three at the conclusion of this collection. These must be read in order not as individual stand alones otherwise as a reader, you would be completely lost by not understanding each characters motivation in working together to solve what is happening not only to them as individuals but also to the world in an effort to save them all. In this one, The Fog was my absolute favorite. There is just something creepy about a fog that can rise until it claims every last person it touches. 5 out of 5 stars again in my opinion and can't wait to read the next one.

For more information about The Assault, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky or where you can pre-order a copy of this book due out in August of 2017 , please click on the links below:

The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky

You can find Bill Myers on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

You can find Frank Peretti on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

You can find Angela Hunt on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Alton Gansky on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing

There is such support for one another for those who live within the Amish community and often time it even extends to the Englisher's who reside within the city limits as well. That is what has always drawn me to Amish fiction is their strong faith and sense of community support. In Wanda Brunstetter's Amish Cooking Class series, The Blessing is the third book in the series that revolves around Heidi Troyer and her husband Lyle who live in Walnut Creek, Ohio. Learning that they may never have children of their own, Heidi decides to teach Amish cooking classes in small groups of 5 to supplement their income and to give her something to do. This is her second class she is preparing to teach and this time with different hopes.

She hopes that Kendra will follow through on her desire to give her baby up to the Troyer's to adopt since as a young mother she certainly can't afford to raise a young child on her own with her parents tossing her out once they learned she was pregnant. So in Heidi believes this might be her last class before she becomes a full-time mother. Again, she has 6 people signed up to join her class, Lisa Brooks is taking the class to inspire additional ideas for her catering business, Todd Collins is taking the class under the premise of wanting to learn how to cook, but has secret motives as a food critic, who wants to see just how good this food could be.

For Bill Mason, he's signed up because as the owner of a cabin he and a few buddies visit during hunting season, his cooking has left something to be desired and he hopes it might teach him to make something else that his friends won't complain about. Nicole Smith is the youngest and she is taking the classes to learn to cook as the oldest child trying to help out her family since her mom left for another man and alcohol, while leaving her to help raise her two younger siblings and still work on finishing up school. At least this gives her a much needed break from her family's expectations. For Allie Garret, her husband provided the cooking lessons as a gift to learn how to make some different dishes for her family. What they don't all realize is that this will be more than simply learning how to cook some delightful Amish meals but that they will also work towards helping one another out when they each have a need and all part of God's plan.

I received Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing by Wanda Brunstetter compliments of Net Galley and Barbour Publishing. 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. Besides getting what I would call 6 different mini novels in one is the delicious mouth-watering recipes that conclude this novel, each of them being the very meals or dishes that the cooking class learns. I only wish I had an lovely Amish woman like Heidi to teach me how. It's almost like a therapy session for them as each person begins to share their burdens to one another and soon find themselves being helped along the way by one another. This is one of my bucket list items to spend a weekend on an Amish farm and learn more about their way of life and cooking by living off of what they grow and can make in most cases. I just don't think I'd be able to keep up. This is a wonderful series and worthy of 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing, Wanda Brunstetter or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel due out in early August 2017, please click on the links below:

Amish Cooking Class: The Blessing by Wanda Brunstetter

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