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Showing posts with label NetGalley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NetGalley. Show all posts

Thursday, January 25, 2018

A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection



If you're new to Amish fiction, and love the idea of a Christmas setting with some great story lines, then you might want to pick up A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance collection. In it you will find 9 different Christmas Romances of Amish, Mennonite, Quaker and Amana settlements, which vary in some of the dress styles, their religious beliefs, and manner of speech. They hold fast to the belief that what happens stays in their communities to handle and marrying outside of the church, can often result in a shunning from the community especially if they have been baptized into their churches.

Yet the one thing that remains clear in all of them, is their sense of support within the community. Help is always offered from within regarding medical issue, issues dealing with breaking the law and tragedies. They are always there for one another. The best part also of this series, is it gives you a brief insight into the style of writing each of the nine authors. This will help you decide if you want to pick up full length novels of other books in that genre as well. It is well worth it too, if time is an issue. Reading them one at a time, as you have time available, keeps you from feeling overwhelmed about not being able to get through a larger novel, than these nine stories provide.

The nine authors that have contributed to this collection are: Jerry Eicher, Olivia Newport, Lauralee Bliss, Ramona K.Cecil, Dianne Christner, Melanie Dobson, Rachael O. Phillips, Claire Sanders, and Anna Schmidt. I have read quite a few of the novels of most of these authors, so it was a nice change of pace to meet some I had never heard of before. This collection is comparable to the length of a full size novel and in it, you get 9 short stories that feel like so much more than a simple novella. There is also a wonderful treat included at the conclusion of each one, a recipe that you can make at home from the story! Just the cover of this collection invites the reader to curl up by the fire on a cold wintery night.

I received A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection by various authors compliments of Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. This is such a beautiful collection of wonderful heartwarming stories of faith, hope and love set among the Christmas season. This is a must have for lovers of Amish Romance, and even for those who want a great sampling of the various communities mentioned in this review. For me, this really introduced me to some authors I had never heard of before, as well as bring back some favorites from best selling authors as well. For me, this collection would rate a 4 out of 5 stars. There are some stories that really didn't connect with me as a reader, and wanted to get through them to something else, especially the Quaker stories with their 'thee's and thou's in how they speak to one another. Kind of like trying to understand Shakespeare in high school, yet overall a great collection.

For more information about A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can read more reviews of A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection by visiting Barbour Publishing's website. 


Friday, January 19, 2018

An Amish Christmas Love



I love reading Christmas novels during anytime throughout the year and happened upon An Amish Christmas Love, by four extremely talented authors, Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin. In this delightful collection of four novella's each of the authors shares a wonderfully sweet Amish romance all tucked inside this book. This is perfect for busy readers, who can just sit down and read one at a time, and still feel like they've read a full length novel.

In Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman, three generations of Amish women find love with the wonderful men who they rent out their rooms for a construction job nearby. All of them have various reasons for wanting to find the right man but will they all be successful in their endeavors as Christmas is coming.

The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston finds a lonely widow as Christmas Eve approaches with no one to share the day with as she fondly remembers her husband Henry, until a wayward cat finds her home during a winter storm. With it comes changes she never expected in her life, when she realizes she is never really alone.

Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin pairs an Amish couple up with the past one of them wishes would never come back to town. Now that she is here, will those old familiar feelings from the past threaten a relationship already on rocky ground?

And finally in Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid, a young English woman returns to her Aunts home she has inherited as a winter storm approaches and finds her GPS directions have led her to enter a home she thought was her Aunts, but turns out to be a Amish father and her young daughter. But did she really take a wrong turn after all?

I received An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin and Ruth Reid compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. Each of these wonderful stories generate a wonderful sense of love, family, faith and hope and truly feel like you've gotten 4 novels in one. I have to say my favorite one might just be the Christmas Cat, because it reminds us that while we might missing a loved one's presence here, their memories are never gone! At the conclusion of each, you will find some discussion guide questions that are wonderful for book clubs. For me, this collection really is worth all 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about An Amish Christmas Love, Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Ruth Reid or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Amy Clipston on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Kelly Irvin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Ruth Reid on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Amish Christmas Love, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

The Christmas Blessing



What is it about romance set among the backdrop of the war? Perhaps its the sensing that time is of the essence and it inspires people to share their truth heartfelt feelings with one another in the event that they will be taken from them far too soon. If you're like me and LOVE that nostalgic romance set during WWII, then pick up Melody Carlson's novel, The Christmas Blessing. It is set in San Diego during 1944 with that romantic couple who have met and instantly fallen in love. Yet before they can marry, James Bradley is called back to his base to be deployed without a moment's notice.

Poor Amelia Richards has a completed intent to wed certificate that James filled out and knows that hopefully this war will end soon and James will return so they can marry. But fate is that ugly judge of what will happen and Amelia learns that James has died and will not be coming home. Now she has to deal with the outcome of what she will be able to do, when she realizes that their one night of romance has conceived a son from that night. As a single mother, not even being able to claim war widow status, she remembers that James told her a bit about her family that lives in Montana and she is sure that perhaps they might even want to help her and poor Jimmie out.

As she plans on making the trip to Montana she isn't sure what she will do if James' parents don't believe her or worse, attempt to take Jimmie away seeing as she is not even married. How could she possibly afford to take care of Jimmie when they don't even know what will happen next. So she takes what money she has in an attempt to give it ago while she searches for James parents, until then she will simply stay a few days at the cheapest hotel in hopes of finding a job as a beautician locally and fate will smile favorably on her this time. What she doesn't plan on is that she is coming down with a pretty horrible cold and now it seems she has passed it along to Jimmie. Without any funds how will she be able to provide care for both of them.

I received The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson compliments of NetGalley and Revell Publishing Group, a division of Baker Publishing. This is such a wonderful story and I don't want to give any more away. The setting is heartwarming and the overall situation is completely believable as something that probably happened to many young men and women during the 1940's. Fans of anything relating to WWII will absolutely adore this short novel that really feels like so much more. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and reminds you that God can even work a miracle during the most tumultuous of times.

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


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

To read more reviews on The Christmas Blessing, please visit Baker Publishing's website. 


Monday, January 8, 2018

All She Left Behind



I have been fascinated by the old ways of medicinal healing. From natural cures and remedies found in plants to the various ways oils can be used to induce healing over prescription bills doctors hand out. That is what drew me to read All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick. Jennie Pickett is the character I can identify with because she has a desire to truly learn from the plants and herbs she collects as well as the oils themselves she removes from them to aid in healing those who come to her for treatment. In a time where women wanting to become doctors was discouraged, Jennie goes out of her way to learn all she can. Of course, with her husband Charles, and her young son Douglas, she hardly has time to devote to that, but she does know it can contribute to the family's finances.

Her husband Charles, works for the prison and has become increasingly violent in his angry outbursts toward Jennie, calling her efforts foolish when she should be doing more to care for his needs. Now with the abuse becoming physical, Jennie has to find ways to make their lives better, in hopes her husband will be content with what life has offered them. But when he turns to alcohol and cocaine, she still holds out hope she can help him with her home remedies but Charles wants nothing to do with her foolish treatments. What he wants from her is to help him convince their local pastor to help them become real estate investors since Charles believes he can truly get out from under working at the prison and provide a life style he feels he deserves and only Jennie and Douglas would benefit.

But as Jennie constantly bends over backward for Charles, she soon learns the ugly truth, when she finds he has given her young son cocaine during one of his late night outings and she can no longer let this continue. She sees that Charles is using the money loaned to them from the pastor's family to buy things that will increase their "look of prosperity"'to future clients but soon Charles confesses things have gotten out of hand and he has lost most of the money in a bad deal with a unlikely customer. He divorces Jennie without regard for her feelings and when the two head home, they find that Charles has taken everything and left them with only their clothes in the home they once shared.

I received All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. I found myself as I was reading, looking up the medicinal uses for the oils Jennie dispenses to her customers to help them and find myself wanting to search for more homeopathic remedies to what ails us over the pharmaceutical industry standards. I really felt for Jennie when things just kept going from bad to worse, but she always wanted to believe that with forgiveness, hope is possible despite the situation at present and loved that her outlook on things remained positive. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and especially LOVED the author's note section at the conclusion which gives readers an idea of how this story line evolved from true historical facts, There is even an oil and herb guide at the conclusion so readers can take advantage of Jennie's homeopathic remedies and uses.

For more information about All She Left Behind, Jane Kirkpatrick and where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Jane Kirkpatrick on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on All She Left Behind, please visit Baker Publishing Groups website. 


Friday, January 5, 2018

Where We Belong



What really made me want to read this book, before I ever looked at the synopsis, is the cover. Just something about exploring Egypt has always fascinated me, and this book by Lynn Austin is no disappointment. Truly something a bit unique but found myself thinking of this book, like The Mummy movie with Brandon Frasier, because of the woman in the movie, who defies social stereotypes of the era and branches out on her own. In Where We Belong, Rebecca and Flora Hawes are being raised by their father, since their mother's death on Flora's birth that left them without the influence of a woman in their household. Being from a well-to-do family, they lacked for nothing with what money could buy for a good education, and their father held nothing back from them.

Deep within both of the girl's hearts was a love for adventure and travel, and at any early age knew that they could convince their father to take them on a European trip to discover the things they were being taught at school, better than any books could teach them. They only had to present it in the correct manner as father liked to conduct all things with a business plan in mind and thus the reason they were so well off. After their latest adventure and returning on their voyage home, they encountered Mrs. Worthington who was also a widow with a plan and purpose. She manages to convince their father that both girls will need suitable husbands to help manage their finances and thinks her nephews would make the ideal candidates.

But Rebecca isn't ready to settle down with the quintessential husband that society and her father would love for her to marry. Flora is quite pleased with having the best of both world and soon falls in love with Thomas. Knowing their father's health is failing, they beg him to not marry Mrs. Worthington until they return from one final trip to visit Egypt and the Holy Lands. But alas, fate will take its own turn as their father passes away and the girls are stuck with figuring out how to manage without a man's influence in their lives any longer. Their journey has only just begun and its about to get very interesting with whom they meet on their latest trip abroad.

I received Where We Belong by Lynn Austin compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. I absolutely LOVE Rebecca's spirit of adventure in not conforming to societies standards for proper young women! This is like an Indiana Jones adventure but with switching the roles between the main characters. I found myself rooting for her the whole time and really wanted to see where all this would lead and could only imagine untapped wealth and the ability to travel makes this such an enjoyable novel. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion!

For more information about Where We Belong, Lynn Austin or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Lynn Austin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Where We Belong, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Cherished Mercy



For as long as I can remember I have loved western stories. Probably came after my introduction to the Louis L'Amor novels that may have jump started my love of the simple life but also a very difficult and hostile life as well. I have been honored to read all of the novels in Tracie Peterson's Heart of the Frontier series and her final one in the series is Cherished Mercy. Each of the novels have introduced the reader to the Flanagan sisters and the last one is the youngest Mercy. She has been working with her sister Grace at helping women during childbirth and also learning about herbal medicines that can help whatever ails most people on the frontier.

Just as she is about to come into her own, a family friend writes that his wife, Eletta is not doing well while expecting their first baby in March. They have asked if Mercy can come to stay with them and help with the birthing of the baby. Mercy fears the recent Rogue River Indians after just barely surviving her own Indian attack and being held hostage for over a month, during the Whitman Massacre has matured her and changed her. She now understands the Indian people a bit more, and has given them the benefit of the doubt since not all Indians are ruthless killers. These people merely want to exist but now it seems that the government has hired on a militia to kill any and all Indians they see, so for Mercy's family it feels like she would be well enough to go.

She believes God will watch over her and protect her as she heads to Gold Beach, Oregon to aid in any way she can to help Eletta get better. Her husband Isaac and herself were responsible for helping all three sisters make it to the west during the Oregon trail and she now feels God is calling her to help. She just doesn't expect to fall in love with Adam Browning, the younger brother of Isaac. She isn't looking for love and that is good, because Adam doesn't believe Mercy will be able to hack it in the rudimentary lodgings and working so closely with the Indian population near them. He believes once she arrives, she will be begging to head home. He isn't at all prepared for what she brings with her when she arrives at their homestead. Lots of gumption and grit for sure on both sides.

I received Cherished Mercy by Tracie Peterson compliments of NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group. I have read to many of Tracies's novel and they just welcome the reader on it. It's like a great friend, that you can curl up with her books and sit by the fire and lose yourself in the story. I have wanted to know what Mercy would turn up like after reading about her throughout all the novels up to this one and LOVE that she has a bit of sass about her. She isn't willing to put up with any man who thinks she needs someone to complete her and this is where it gets interesting so that you have to finish it before doing anything else. She's a spit fire for sure, but has she met her match? Pick this one up to find out. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and western romance lovers will want to pick up the entire series and carve out some time to enjoy each of them.

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


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

To read more reviews on Cherished Mercy, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 



Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Colors of Christmas



I don't know what it is, but I love a great Christmas romance! Something about the time of year inspires hope while romance is in the air. Olivia Newport is no stranger to romance novels and Colors of Christmas is a MUST READ! She combines two different story lines centered around Christmas, one Christmas in Gold and the other, Christmas in Blue. You can almost guess what will be the them of each. In the first, Christmas in Gold, an elderly German woman Astrid takes an unexpected spill down the stairs outside her home while carrying a full load and it prevented her from accurately seeing the steps. Now her son, Alex believes it is time for her to pack up her home, sell it and move to a retirement community where she can be looked after should something like this happen again. While it does offer independent living apartments, Astrid believes in her heart that it is time. After 40 years of dealing with the loss of her last husband and with family being busy with work and living a distance away, it is probably for the best.

Like all great novels, there has to be something more, and for Astrid, she feels that her physical therapist Carly is bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders. She knows she might not be able to do much, but sometimes just having a friend to talk to really helps. For Carly, she hopes that the man who has been trying to contact her, will finally lose hope now that she has obtained a restraining order against him. She only hopes she won't have to pull her son out of school and move again, meaning she would lose her job as well. But as God has a bigger plan in mind. "No two people suffer in identical ways, and we must not discount any suffering. The greatest gift we can give each other is to see suffering and name it as real. Always in suffering we meet fear. Always in suffering we must raise our eyes from darkness to light that awaits. There we will find others who have known suffering. Even God knew the suffering of His own Son."

In Christmas in Blue a long time resident that has always hosted the towns A Christmas to Remember event has passed away and the church committee members believe that the one who knew her the best would be the better choice at continuing the town's desired Christmas event. Angela was her dearest friend but has no clue where to begin or even what to do to make this happen and worst yet, the committee members have given her only 10 days to make it happen. Seems like it will take a Christmas miracle to make that happen and one by one, every single process is hampered in unexplained ways where she will be forced to make some hard decisions and running away is not one of them.

I received Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport compliments of NetGalley and Barbour Publishing. I found myself relating quite a bit to Christmas in Gold, because my husbands parents are now beginning to look at retirement communities now that they are having so many health issues and family is more than 4 hours away. They desire to stay independent and have no desire to move back to be closer to family either. I found myself sharing this story with my husband and found a common connection with Astrid's character. This is such a wonderful novel and you truly feel like you are getting two books in one. I savored each one for a different night. I didn't want to rush through them and was so glad I did. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and one doesn't have to wait for Christmas to enjoy them. A reader's discussion guide is included at the conclusion of this book which would make it a perfect book club selection.

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


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

To read more reviews on Colors of Christmas, please visit Barbour Publishing's website.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Engagement Plot



I don't think there isn't one person who doesn't know about online dating reality shows like the Bachelor or the Bachelorette. Where an eligible person tries to find the perfect person among a host of suitable candidates and hopefully a happily ever after will ensue. Fans of such shows will love Krista Phillips new novel, The Engagement Plot. Here we have a similar premise as the setting for our novel, with the reality show named The Price for Love and instead of the infamous red roses, the contestants receive gold coins with hearts verifying their commitment to find true love. Everything appeared to be going well for the final two, with most of the audience rooting for an all around honest church loving girl, they aptly named Holy Hanna, after Hanna Knight, the one woman who vowed to keep her integrity and morals intact despite all the pressure to bend to the viewing audience. She was the one, the upstanding CEO and eligible bachelor William Preston asked to marry him.

Only while Hanna was busy making wedding plans in her mind during the two month hiatus that they were instructed to have no contact with one another expect for an off-camera date, while the show wrapped up for the final unveiling. Hanna was hoping she had found the right man, when in reality, when it came to push the shows ratings as well as his own status in the company, Will led both the show's host and viewing audience to believe that Hanna had compromised all her moral beliefs for a quick weekend away with him. That was the end of the relationship and the end of Hanna's heart. She vowed to find some way to look for how she could have been so easily misled by Will. It cost her almost everything and now her reputation has been in ruins no matter how Hanna might have tried to salvage it.

So now, while avoiding reporters, she has moved back home with her father in Minnesota heading home in the midst of what is turning out to be one of the worst blizzards in history and finds a car trapped in a snowbank. She knows that no one will be out here for hours and her father wouldn't even leave a person stranded. What she didn't expect to find was Will Preston stuck in the snowbank almost freezing to death. While she is more than tempted to leave him there, she knows she can't in good faith no matter what he has done to her in the past. That was not how she was raised and now, she is stuck bringing him home back to her fathers house and undoubtedly hoping the storm might be delayed until he can get on his way to wherever he was headed. Only for now, she will have to deal with all the pain she thought she put behind her again.

I received The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips compliments of Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. This is such a great story because you only know it's going to get better the further you get into the book and at each crossroads it appears as if God has other plans in store for the two to be reunited again. Can she risk her heart again for the second time? Has Will Preston truly changed? Or does he have another motive behind his visit? You'll just have to pick this one up to find out. I thoroughly enjoyed it and easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. This would make a great Hallmark Channel movie!

For more information about The Engagement Plot, Krista Phillips or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Krista Phillips on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Engagement Plot, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 


Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Home All Along



Some people struggle their whole lives to find a place to call home, when in all actuality it was right in front of them the whole time. In Beth Wiseman's newest novel, Home All Along, the third in the Amish Secrets series, Charlotte Dolinsky is faced with more challenges then most. Being orphaned along with her brother Ethan, she has watched the family deteriorate around her. First her father died, then her brother, and while she struggled to maintain any sense of a relationship with her birth mother Janelle, she watched her slowly die while languishing away in a mental institution lost in her mind in a rage of madness. It would make one wonder, why she shed any tears at all at her mother's funeral. But perhaps deep inside she was mourning for a family most had and she didn't.

Even though her Amish family made her feel at home, they weren't her biological family. Daniel Byler is struggling himself with the feelings he has for Charlotte, an English woman who makes herself at home among the Amish, but still keeping a foot in the English world. He knows what implications will happen if he chooses to walk away from all he has known to follow his heart, but he is hoping that Charlotte might just want to walk away from the English world and join him. After all, it seems as if she is home already.

They didn't see all the changes coming for both of them. The new Bishop has warned Daniel that Charlotte must make a decision soon as many in the fold are beginning to question if the Bishop intends to allow them to continue as they have been, clearly having affections for one another but not equally yoked. Charlotte is introduced to a sister, Andrea, she never knew she had, when she turns up at her mother's funeral, only to remind her that she just needed to know who she was for medical issues. This makes Charlotte question what God has in mind with all this news on the same day she buries her mother. Can she find the right faith to hold onto her life and weather the storms that seem to be pressing on her at this time? Only time will tell.

I received Home All Along by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley. Oh how I have thoroughly enjoyed this entire series. It makes one realize that the Amish are just like the English in so many ways and have the same struggles we all do. The only difference is their ability to try and accept the things that happen as God's will, but it still doesn't mean it makes it easy for them to handle it well. So many other relationships are addressed as well in this novel with characters readers have met in the other novels. I especially LOVE the ideas that butterflies are rumored to be messages from heaven! I easily give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Home All Along, Beth Wiseman or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Home All Along, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 


Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Merry and Bright



Online dating. It seems to be the "in-thing" when it comes to finding love these days. Gone are the trips to the local watering hole after work or searching the personal ads in the paper. For Merry Knight, Christmas was the time of the year she looked forward to. Spending time with family, celebrating the joy of simply being together and participating in all the traditions her family embraced is what kept her focused on the month ahead of her. Working as a temporary data input employee for Matterson Consulting, she knew just how many days she had left to deal with an overbearing boss, Jayson Bright. He was someone who did everything by the book and even had the employee handbook so memorized he could tell Merry exactly where her current violation of company standards of decorating her cubicle or even eating lunch while she worked was frowned upon.Clearly the Christmas season was not allowed within her workplace or even at her cubicle location.

Jayson Bright had a lot to prove to his father who expected him to fail at every turn. Not one for being together as a family, he watched his father move from relationship to relationship without questioning what caused all those failures. It seemed as if the apple didn't fall far from the Bright tree and now Jayson could see that he was slowly becoming his father. He didn't have time for family or even socializing as with this upcoming potential contract proposal for Boeing, he might just prove to his father, he is able to take on the role of leading the company. While he watches his best friend find true love through an internet dating service, Mix and Mingle, one he strongly advises Jayson to try. But all he can see it work and more work, if he ever hopes to find acceptance in his father's eyes.

Since Merry can't find time to socialize, her mother and younger brother take it upon themselves to enroll Merry in an internet dating site, Mix and Mingle and instead of a profile picture of Merry, they add one of their lovable dog. They reason if someone is willing to judge a person based on looks, they might not look far enough into someone to discover who they truly are on the inside. Funny thing is she agrees to see where it might take her, after all, once she finishes her contract at work, she will have plenty of time to see where love might find her. She just doesn't expect to find Mr. Wrong on the other end of the email conversation.

I received Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber compliments of Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. If you LOVE the movie, "You've Got Mail," then you will love this different spin on the premise of internet dating. It is a wonderful heartwarming story of what really makes us fall in love and how we can keep those embers burning alive after the physical changes in our appearances begin to change and fade. If all we see is the beauty on the outside, we may be missing more than we hoped for by ignoring what's on the inside that truly counts. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and could easily see this being made into a Hallmark Christmas movie!

For more information about Merry and Bright, Debbie Macomber or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Debbie Macomber on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Merry and Bright, please visit Random House Publishing Group's website.


Friday, October 20, 2017

Christmas At Carnton



It's hard to imagine that war once divide this great country. That men and women both lost those they loved when the North divided against the South. Men ill equipped to go to war went anyway and so much blood was shed on both sides of the country. For Aletta Prescott, she learned that her husband would not be returning home from the war as he had hoped and now she has learned she is about to be laid off from her job at the Chilton Textile Mill. It wasn't due to her work, but as a matter of last hired is those who would have to face the burden of no longer having a job, a ways to provide for their family and for Aletta, now seven months pregnant and with a young boy at home, she struggled to figure out how she was going to pay for their mortgage now with winter coming.

She had hoped that the bank would be understanding regarding her recent loss and now unemployment, but despite all the bank manager's assurances that they might be able to work something out, the bank's board members refused to allow her any more time. They felt they were being generous in letting her have two weeks before they foreclosed on her home. But where could they go? When she learned that the Carnton estate was looking for help in preparation for an upcoming auction to lend financial resources to help the war effort, she felt assured this would be an answer to prayer. She had to find something otherwise she didn't know what she would do or where they would go.

Jake Winston felt that his life was spared when he was shot in the shoulder, but it also allowed him to deal with the loss of his eyesight even temporarily. He would have to wear glasses now to miss seeing the sharp details a marksman like himself would need if he was to be an use of continuing in the war effort, but such was not to be the case just yet. His commanding General has asked him to travel to Carnton Estate and lend in the security of helping the women raise funds to benefit the war. It would also give him time to continue to allow his eyesight to return. But there was no winning this battle with the General. He just didn't plan on having his heart fall for a young mother due with another child and her sweet, young, impressionable son as well. He will have to maintain the respect due to her after learning she had lost her husband while trying to do as ordered, but will God have other plans in store for them all?

I received Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is such a heart warming book because it really takes the readers into the very heart of both Aletta and Jake. You can understand how difficult both the timing and the circumstances surrounding them both would be, and with time running out for them both, anxiety only increases the need to figure out the future, even if it is out of their hands for the time being. I love the generosity of Mrs. McGavock, who is the wife of the Carnton Estate in how she is with her hired staff. She keeps the respectability of her position, but treats them all like family. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Christmas at Carnton, Tamera Alexander or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Tamera Alexander on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Christmas at Carnton, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 


Tuesday, October 10, 2017

These Healing Hills



Here's another wonderful novel that takes readers back for some historical fiction that is based around facts about Frontier Nursing. In These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart, Francine Howard defies her parents wishes and moves to the Appalachian Mountains of Hyden to learn about being a midwife to the people who have chosen to live away from the bigger towns. They have a different way to speaking, moonshine is still being processed and of course, people love their lifestyle but getting medical care can be time consuming especially with the terrain and often times weather.

Francine is a compassionate woman who loves learning about their way of life, even though those she works under remind her to keep her level of professionalism and not get to friendly with the people she treats. But how can you not be drawn into their simple ways of life, where money isn't the thing that motivates them and they take joy in raising their families away from the big city! She would have never dreamed this was the life for her, hoping instead to remain at home waiting for the man she believed would return home to her from the war and they would marry and begin their own family. Instead, Seth Miller, found himself another woman from England and was bringing her home to meet his family and how could she begin to compete with that?

So she took her broken heart and instead looked for ways to bring healing to others and catching babies, the Appalachian term for delivering newborns. She can't help but love each of the families she works with including Granny Em, an elderly woman who keeps to her way of life, handing out wisdom to Francine that flies in the face of the medical procedures she is being taught, including some weird medicinal home remedies using the plants she finds growing around the mountain. She just didn't expect to become part of the Locke family, treating their ailing young daughter, Sadie, as well as looking after their oldest daughter, Becca who is getting ready for her first child. Now that Ben Locke has returned home from the war, he can't help but fall for the one woman who would do more than heal the brokenness in their family but in his heart as well.

I received These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. I love this story revolving around the historical facts about was started Frontier Nursing in 1925, that readers can enjoy at the conclusion of this novel in the Reader's Note section. You would wonder how people who lived far from town would have their medical needs addressed and so a nursing program was conceived that trained women to ride horses into the heart of the mountains, bringing with them healing and midwife skills to the people of the Appalachian communities. This eliminated the worry of how to pay for medical care since no one was ever turned away and the maternal and infant mortality rates decreased dramatically when this program was introduced. Well worthy of 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about These Healing Hills, Ann H. Gabhart or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Ann H. Gabhart on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on These Healing Hills, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Bygone Christmas Brides


Ah with Christmas just around the corner, time seems to slip away from us with simply too much to do. We all want to get into that perfect mood, to sit by the fire, on a cold night, sip our favorite beverages and just relax and find ourselves perhaps some place else for just a little while. Novella's or short stories that feel like novels are the perfect way to take that virtual vacation and escape into the historical past and visit different time periods and places all set during the Christmas season with romance at the heart of each of them. Bygone Christmas Brides offers readers six short novellas from six wonderfully talented authors. Not only do these feel like more than short stories, it also gives readers a look at each authors unique and heartwarming writing styles.

In Lost and Found by Ginny Aiken, takes us to Wales in the year 1870, where we meet Rhiannon Wylie who is taking care of her aging father and questions the faith she has despite the fear of the mines both her father and Trefor Davies works at. Will she be able to find the faith she needs to trust God when there is no other choice in order to find true love and a chance at happiness?

In Tis the Season by Carla Gade, introduces readers to Schooley's Mountain Springs of New Jersey in 1820's where Annaliese Braun finds herself in need of someone to repair her broken wagon after the accident where the wheel comes off. Enter our hero, carpenter, Stephen Yost, who is just in town to make a living repairing some businesses and homes, but may have met his match that fateful day.

I Saw Three Ships by Pamela Griffin takes readers back to 19th century Scotland where a long lost love between Malcolm Sinclair and Rachel McIvor might just be rekindled. But can Rachel forgive the man who left her once to find his fortune, in order to try and win back her heart or will she be willing to walk away as he once did?

In Colleen of Erin by Tamela Hancock Murray, can Donohue's Mercantile owner Finn Donohue find a way into Collin Sullivan's heart? After all whenever she visits him, he will always order whatever she fancies, but what will it take for her to notice him? Will the hardness he experienced in his own past keep him from ever opening his heart up to someone like Colleen's gentleness?

A Right and Proper Christmas by Jill Stengl, finds a soldier returning home to England from the war and happens upon a small church, believing that God has called him to preach. He finds something in common with the class of people he came from, those of a lower class, but it seems he can't find someone willing to teach him how. As he stumbles into the church, he finds something he never expected, a willingness to give him a second chance at life, and possibly a chance at love with a woman who sets her heart on marrying a local man. Will she see something in him that no one else possesses?

Mercy Mild by Gina Welborn is the final novella that takes readers into the brokeness of one young woman who has faced abuse at the hands of her own parents. She refuses to ever have children believing that she will do the same to a child of her own. But will a man with a love for war orphans teach her that she can change so she doesn't have to fear she will be like her parents. Will the love a child be able to break her hardened heart?

I received Bygone Christmas Brides compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. Just looking at the cover of this collection, brings a much wanted anticipation to what each of these six novellas contains. A trip back into the historical past, in various time periods and find true love in this heartwarming collection of wonderful Christmas themed stories. While I have read others novels from some of the authors in this collection, I also got the chance to meet new ones like Tamela Hancock Murray and Pamela Griffin. They each keep the stories authentic to both the country they are set in as well as the language and traditions of those historical time periods. I give this collection a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and makes it easy to just take time to read one each night.

For more information about Bygone Christmas Brides, any of the authors or where you can pick up this book today to add it to your Christmas collection, please click on the links below:


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

You can find Carla Gade on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Jill Stengl on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Ginny Aiken on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Pamela Griffin on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Tamela Hancock Murray on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Bygone Christmas Brides, please visit Barbour Publishing. 





Friday, September 29, 2017

12 Days at Bleakly Manor



Imagine you are facing challenges in your daily life, where if you could have a wish, that problem would go away. What would you do? Would you accept an invitation to change your present circumstances by being the last person to leave Bleakly Manor after spending 12 days during Christmas as a guest? I'm sure most would and that is exactly the response that each of the guests expects when they arrive at Bleakly Manor without knowing what will happen when they arrive.

Clara Chapman who has found herself almost destitute and living with her ailing aunt is promised 500 pounds if she can stay for the entire 12 days. Mr. Minnow, Miss Scurry, Mr. Pocket, Mademoiselle Pretents and Mr. Benjamin Lane are arrive with their own unique set of promises to be fulfilled and the host of the affair remains a mystery and aloof. Instructed by the household staff to arrive for meals and certain presents await them at the bedroom doors, it soon becomes apparent that something sinister may be staged as first Mademoiselle Pretents jewelry is stolen, then unexplained accidents begin to happen to each of the guests until one by one, they begin to leave. First without a choice and then as each promise is granted, they voluntarily leave of their own accord.

For Clara Chapman and Benjamin Lane, they have a shared history. He was jailed for stealing the family fortune that left Clara's family destitute, while she assumed that Benjamin stole their fortunes and fled leaving her at the altar on their wedding day. Will the time being spent together fan the love they still have locked away in their hearts or will one of them have to make the ultimate sacrifice and forgo their invitation promise in hopes of a greater compromise instead? Spend the next 12 days with the most unusual cast of characters in this delightful novel, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, the first book in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series by Michelle Griep.

I received 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. This is a quick read, but love the historical detail and poetic writing style of Michelle Griep as she weaves a wonderful tale of finding our deepest wishes might be right in front of us where we least would expect them to be. Just who is staging this elaborate event? You'll have to pick this one up to find out but for me, this one was worth 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for more in this delightful, Victorian Christmas series!

For more information about 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, Michelle Griep, or where you can pick up this delightful book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Michelle Griep on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 


Thursday, September 21, 2017

Picking Daisy



When the lead singer of the mega-successful rock group For Granted is released from rehab, spending six months staying clean he hopes to rebound and get his life back on track but in a different manner than he is used to. In rehab, Robby Grant finally understood what his agent meant, in making more money than he could ever spend, he'd avoided his real needs - to be loved for who he was as a human being and he finally understood he also had a drive to make someone proud of him. How to go about that, however, was still a mystery. He was certain he'd never been told he'd done something right and there was a distinct need inside him to discover that place of peace. While he wasn't sure those songs were the ticket, music was his life, and it seemed the only place for him to start looking for peace.

Robby was in his early teens when he started down the path of alcoholism. He was defiant of all his parents stood for, especially his father who was never around. At eighteen, the family had all but given up on Robby, while his brother, Warren, accepted the responsibility of continually rescuing him from whatever scrape he'd gotten into. Warren took after their father, Martin, while Robby was much more like his mother, Jackie. Martin was a military man through and through. He lived for his job and his country and never seemed reachable to his children, or his wife, as it turned out. Robby hoped on day he could be called a man. Only now did he see he'd lived his whole life as a child. It was time to grow up. As his band For Granted, fired him as their lead singer/songwriter, Robby wasn't sure what was next for him, but as it turns out, life is about to take a twist in a far different direction when his Uncle Nick, lands himself in the hospital and Robby is asked to help him out until he is well.

Daisy Parker is trying to find her way through an accident that left her paralyzed to ever ride in a car again and bound in a wheelchair instead. She have given up on singing but still occasionally writes songs in her journal she keeps with her. There were few men who'd relish the idea of taking on a handicapped wife and those who did certainly were not going to show up a her front door. Now she spends her days with Nick whenever she needs something done around the property or house and despite all the encouragement of her well-meaning friends, to move forward, get out, she has resolved herself to the fate life has managed to give up and try and find a way to be happy again. She wasn't expecting that change to show up at her front door in the form of Robby Grant and she knows despite what she knows she should do, she realizes maybe he needs more help than she does.

I received Picking Daisy by Kimberly M. Miller compliments of Pelican Book Group and NetGalley. I absolutely LOVE this novel and love the chemistry between Daisy and Robby. While he may seem to be selfish in what he believes he deserves, Daisy isn't about to fall for all the things that have worked for him in the past. She believes that God wants her to help Robby out, and when he finds her journal filled with songs, he believes Daisy is the answer to his own prayers for a comeback. It's going to take a whole lot more than money to get Daisy to see a different future for her as well. I will hold off on the rest so you can enjoy this novel as much as I did. This one garners a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Picking Daisy, Kimberly M. Miller or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Kimberly M. Miller on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Picking Daisy, please visit Pelican Book Group's website. 


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Silverton: Claims on the Heart



When Kathleen Morris' father received a letter informing him that he had inherited a mercantile from his brother, they were both willing to quit their new life in St. Louis and make a new start in Colorado. Never one of them was afraid of the new challenges that might face them. Since they were successful in their own store in St. Louis, it allowed them to net quite a sum so they would have something to live on until they could see the condition of the mercantile and determine what would need to be done. They would also need to find a home suitable for them both and hopefully one that would allow Kathleen to entertain gentlemen suitors that might come around.

When they arrived in Colorado, it was a drastic change than what they were used to. Dirt and dust was everywhere and there appeared to be more brothels and saloons than reputable businesses, not that they didn't exist. They were lucky that there mercantile was the only one in town. They were greeted by Martin Long, owner of the stamp mill and a very wealthy man who seemed to fancy Kathleen. Not only was she beautiful but he knew she probably came from well-to-do upbringing. She would make the perfect wife and with all of Martin's wealth, she knew he would take good care of her and her father should things go south in town.

But Kathleen wasn't willing to take any risks with her heart and found a much more charming suitor who also couldn't pass up a new face in town. While buying a hat in the mercantile, Colin McAllister was charming, humble and always willing to help out anyone in need, including one of the soiled doves who happened to take a fall just outside the mercantile's front door. Colin warned her that she would be best suited if she didn't use Blair Street to find her way home or any other place in town. A respectable lady would find more than trouble on that end of town. Now she just had to convince herself and her father that Colin seemed to have found a place in her heart she wasn't expecting quite so soon and that money and position wasn't her reasons for marriage. She wanted to marry for love.

I received Silverton: Claims on the Heart by Karen Cogan compliments of White Rose Publishing, Pelican Book Group and NetGalley. This is a short but sweet novel on marrying for love or money, and how appearances are not always what they appear. She has to wrestle with her emotions in what is best for her or what would be best for her family. Even the friends she meets in Colorado seem to think that Martin would be the logical choice for her and while Colin's career as a simple miner would not be the best thing for her or her father. I love that even though this is a shorter novel, for me, under 2 hours to finish, it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I inhaled this one since it is that good and I didn't want to put it down. For that reason this one easily garners a 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Silverton: Claims on the Heart, Karen Cogan or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:


You can find Karen Cogan on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Silverton: Claims on the Heart, please visit Pelican Book Group's website. 


Tuesday, September 12, 2017

To Wager Her Heart



Sylas Ruthledge has more than just a bit of a dilemma to face. Coming from a start up railroad company in Colorado to the Belle Meade Plantation of Tennessee, he finds himself out of his element. His is missing out on all the Southern genteel ways that might cause him to lose out on his bid to expand his railroad territory all on account of not being like all the other wealthy bidders. To call him an outcast is mild in comparison to some. The other thing that keeps him from being looked upon favorably is that his father was responsible for the death of more than a hundred souls when two railroad engines collided at Dutchman's Curve. He knows his father couldn't have been responsible because he knows what an experienced engineer he was. Now while in Tennessee he hopes he can find a way to clear his father's name.

His only help might just come from his most least likely of places. When Alexandra Jamison is forced by her wealthy socialite family to marry a man she clearly could never love, she is given an ultimatum by her father. If she refuses to marry a man as old as her father, she can find someplace else to live and with that it means she leaves everything behind including all her personal belongings. She will walk out the door with only the clothes on her back. The good thing is that she has managed to secure a job as a teacher for Fisk University, which teaches the Freedmen and women how to read and write among other things, but the pay isn't that good to allow her to purchase some things she will need along with at least more clothes.

So Sylas and Alexandra make a partnership that will benefit them both. She agrees to help teach Sylas the ins and outs of good business dealings as long as he isn't underhanded in his approach. She also agrees that once he obtains new information into the cause of the train accident, he will share what he learns with her. She lost her financè in that crash, while she managed to survive. Even though it goes against what she wants, she knows that without any money, or help, she might be forced to return home and beg for her families help. So she will assist him only until she can get back on her feet and get paid.

I received To Wager Her Heart by Tamera Alexander compliments of Zondervan Publishers and NetGalley. This is the third novel in the Belle Meade Plantation series and if you love anything from that sweet Southern history with a refreshing romance mixed in, you will definitely want to pick up this novel. Alexandra's character is a spitfire, like a bit of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind. She isn't about to forced to do anything that isn't what is in her heart even if it flies in the face of Southern society. I love her strong determination to keep Sylas at bay, even though she finds herself drawn to man who will do anything to win her heart in the most genteel and southernly ways! Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars in this readers opinion.

For more information about To Wager Her Heart, Tamera Alexander, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Tamera Alexander on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on To Wager Her Heart, please visit Zondervan Publisher's website.

A Place At Our Table



A handsome Amish volunteer firefighter. A single Amish girl working for her families restaurant. All they need is the right circumstance for them to meet so sparks can begin to fly and love begin to bloom. In this case, a fire is the catalyst that introduces them. As the Dienner family's barn is engulfed in flames, Jamie Riehl is part of the Amish fire department to respond. As they try to keep damage to a minimum, he learns besides the two horses trapped in the barn, her younger brother Nathan has not come out after trying to rescue them. All they can do is pray that Jamie can bring all of them to safety along with their firefighting team.

Even though the barn is a complete loss, Jamie was able to bring Nathan out of the barn after being trapped inside when a beam fell on him. Had they not gotten there in time, it would have been the second death in the Dienner family that fire has taken from them. Jamie doesn't realize it at the time, but Simeon, their oldest son and brother died fighting a fire when a house collapsed on him and they were unable to get him out. Now Nathan wants to be a firefighter when he is old enough but it is something Kayla is trying to discourage him from doing. She can't lose another brother and she believes Jamie is just filling his head with ideas that he shouldn't be considering. When he realizes the dilemma he works with Kayla and her family to not only help with the barn raising, but giving them time to decide if Nathan can join the program to train as a firefighter.

It seems a common thread for both of them, the love and loyalty of family, and while neither of them is looking for a relationship, they at least agree to be friends. Kayla's past relationship was the clincher in making her never want to trust in men again. While he maintained a status as her boyfriend, he never made her a priority, choosing his friends and interests instead of spending time with her. But with her connection with Jamie, they seem suited well for one another, even if his job does pose a very real threat that he might not make it home one day, they agree to see where things might lead on their own, but until an unexpected tragedy occurs, it will leave them completely at a loss on how to find their way back to the feelings that brought them together.

I received A Place At Our Table by Amy Clipston compliments of Zondervan Publishers and NetGalley. I really LOVED this novel and read it in hours, simply because the action is so intense and you're rooting for your favorite characters and then tragedy strikes and you wonder if they will remain apart with just the right elements making everything one big mess. As a reader, you are immensely invested in the story and it feels as real to you as if you are standing alongside them as a friend. That's what makes a great novel in my opinion and the reason for a 5 out of 5 stars. There are some great discussion guide questions at the conclusion that would make this a must read for book clubs. This is also the first novel in the Amish Homestead Series, and I can't wait to see what's next in the series.

For more information about A Place At Our Table, Amy Clipston or where you can preorder a copy of this novel due out in November of 2017, please click on the links below:


You can find Amy Clipston on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Place At Our Table, please visit Zondervan Publisher's website. 


Wednesday, September 6, 2017

The Promise of A Letter



Could the promise of a letter really get the lives of the Raber men to change forever? Seeing as there is so much division between the two, especially when Roman, the youngest, decided to up and leave the Amish community in Birch Creek, Ohio without ever saying goodbye. No note. Nothing. Now that he's been trying to live among the English and get into college as an Engineer, he receives word that his grandmother has passed away. The one and only person who really was family to him. She died. He wasn't there. Is it possible to go home again?

Roman wasn't sure what to expect when he packed up what little he owned and headed by to Birch Creek. All he knew was that he needed to see his grandmother's grave and tell her how sorry he was for not being there for her. Perhaps things might have had a different outcome. Perhaps even today, she might still be alive. He just didn't expect to see his father while standing at her grave. He said nothing in passing. No expressions on his face. He just handed Roman a letter and walked away. It was a letter from his grandmother. One last request. That he reconcile with his brother Daniel and then he could do whatever he needed to do with his life. But Daniel got the same letter in regards to the terms of reconciling with his brother, he just never expected to see him back so soon. But it was the one thing both brothers could do was to find a way to fulfill their grandmother's request, but it might take an act of God to heal the bitterness and pain inside them both.

Leanna Chupp went against what most people might think for an Amish woman. She didn't cook. Couldn't cook. Wasn't good with sewing or any of the household tasks most would expect. In fact she left her house pretty much the way she did every single day. Bed unmade, dishes in the sink, and time to do that later. At almost six feet, she didn't look like most Amish women either, but her family loved her for what she was. Talented at anything with a motor or moving parts. Thankfully her father raised her to do what she loved and she had a great job working for Daniel Raber, until he fired her. Without explanation. She would later learn that some of the elder ladies in the community had taken to gossiping about Leanna that she was having an affair with Daniel, since the two worked to closely together at his shop and often late into the evenings. While his wife Barbara never considered it, with being pregnant and hearing the rumors herself, she began to wonder. That is just the very reason that Daniel came to the decision even though doing this would put his business far behind getting the orders fulfilled.

I received The Promise of A Letter by Kathleen Fuller compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley. This is such a heartwarming novel of reconciliation and of unconditional love as the central theme. It shows us that we don't have to forget the pain, but with God's help we can move forward and let the healing begin. We don't need to understand the why's of doing it, and that is the question that Roman and Daniel are challenged with since their grandmother had passed, there was no way to ask anything of what lead to this decision to reconcile. However once the men have a chance to solve their own personal pain, can they begin to build upon the pain that pulled them apart and be honest despite the hurt it might cause to finally achieve resolution. I absolutely LOVED this novel and can't wait for what is coming next in this series from Kathleen Fuller. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Promise of A Letter, Kathleen Fuller or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:


You can find Kathleen Fuller on Facebook to stay on top of all her latest books.

To read more reviews of The Promise of A Letter, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 


Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Chair


On Tuesday afternoon at five thirty, an elderly lady strode into Corin's antique store as if she owned it and said, "The next two months of your life will be either heaven or hell."

The corners of her mouth turned up a fraction. It was almost a smile.

"Excuse me?" Corin Roscoe stared at her over the mound of bills in front of him and stifled a laugh. White hair, deep smile lines etched into her high cheekbones - she had to be at least midseventies. Maybe eighty, but she moved like she was in her forties. She wore a dark tan coat that bounced off her calves as she strolled toward Corin, ice blue eyes full of laughter. She didn't look crazy.

"I've brought you the chair, you see." She stared at him as if that statement would explain everything.

Corin brushed his dark hair off his forehead and slid off the stool behind his sales counter. "What chair?"

The woman looked around the store like a schoolteacher evaluating a new classroom of students. Her eyes seemed to settle on the pile of precisely stacked books from the 1700's. "I love books, you know."

"Do I know you?" He took a step towards the woman.

"No." Her laugh had a tinge of music in it. "I hardly think so."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"You're a fortune teller, right? And think a little heaven and a little hell is coming my way. Can't I just subscribe to your newsletter?"

"Probably an interweaving of the two realms. And I believe you'll discover the hope of restoration. The final outcome will, of course, be your choice."

In the latest novel by James. L. Rubart, The Chair, takes readers on an exceptional journey into one of the greatest possible antiques ever discovered. A plain, wooden chair crafted perfectly in every dimension and whenever people sit in it, they are miraculously healed. Soon it appears that is possible that the chair was crafted by Jesus Christ and within the chair holds all the power He possessed after He was resurrected.

This being my third book by James L. Rubart, I couldn't wait to read this one when I read about it through his Facebook page. Literally on pins and needles waiting to the first opportunity to read this one. I was not disappointed for my long wait. Worth every single word on the page. He once more captivated my attention from the first few words I shared with you above, until the final paragraph that closes the book. It was exceptional once more and I could completely feel the burden that Corin carries with him throughout the book. The Chair will do more than keep you glued to every word, but pull at your own heart and provide you a clear picture at what Christ did for all of us on the cross.

I received this Kindle format compliments of B & H Publishing Group through Netgalley for my honest review and again, 5 out of 5 stars is not high enough for this book. It literally goes off the chart in my book and thank you James for becoming one of my personal favorite authors in my own personal collection of your literary works.

For more information about this book, the talented author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:


You can also follow him on his personal Facebook page by clicking here.